The Doctrine of Original Sin, Theological treatise · Part 4 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II.
Concerning that Objection against the Doctrine of native Corruption, That to suppose Men rec…ive their first Existence in Sin, is to make Him who is the Author of their Being, the Author of their Depravity.
ONE Argument against Men's being supposed to be born with sinful Depravity, which Dr. T. greatly insists upon, is, "That this does in Effect charge Him who is the Author of our Nature, who formed us in the Womb, with being the Author of a sinful Corruption of Nature; and that it is highly injurious to the God of our Nature, whose Hands have formed and fashioned us, to believe our Nature to be originally corrupted, and that in the worst Sense of Corruption."*P. 137. 187, 188, 189, 256, 258, 260, 419, 424, and other Places.
With respect to this, I would observe in the first Place, that this Writer, in his handling this grand Objection, supposes something to belong to the Doctrine objected against, as maintained by the Divines whom he is opposing, which does not belong to it, nor does follow from it: As particularly, he supposes the Doctrine of original Sin to imply, that Nature must be corrupted by some positive Influence; something, by some Means or other, infused into the human Nature; some Quality or other, not from the Choice of our Minds, but like a Taint, Tincture, or Infection, altering the natural Constitution, Faculties& Dispositions of our Souls.†P. 187. That Sin and evil Dispositions are IMPLANTED in the Foetus in the Womb. *P. 14…. 424, 425, and the like in many other Places.—Whereas truly our Doctrine neither implies nor infers any such Thing. In order to account for a sinful Corruption of Nature, yea, a total native Depravity of the Heart of Man, there is not the least Need of supposing any evil Quality infused, implanted, or wrought into the Nature of Man, by any positive Cause, or Influence whatsoever, either from God, or the Creature; or of supposing, that Man is conceived and born with a Fountain of Evil in his Heart, such as is any thing properly positive. I think, a little Attention to the Nature of Things will be sufficient to satisfy any impartial considerate Inquirer, that the Absence of positive good Principles, and so the With holding of a special divine Influence to impart and maintain those good Principles, leaving the common natural Principles of Selflove, natural Appetite, &c. (which were in Man in Innocence) leaving these, I say, to themselves, without the Government of superiour divine Principles, will certainly be followed with the Corruption, yea, the total Corruption of the Heart, without Occasion for any positive Influence at all: And, that it was thus indeed that Corruption of Nature came on Adam, immediately on his Fall, and comes on all his Posterity, as sinning in him and falling with him.
The Case with Man was plainly this: When God made Man at first, he implanted in him two Kinds of Principles. There was an inferiour Kind, which may be called NATURAL being the Principles of meer human Nature; such as Self-love, with those natural Appetites & Passions, which belong to the Nature of Man, in which his Love to his own Liberty, Honour and Pleasure, were exercised: These, when alone, and left to themselves, are what the Scriptures sometimes call FLESH. Besides these, there were superiour Principles, that were spiritual, holy and divine summarily comprehended in divine Love; wherein consisted the spiritual Image of God, and Man's Righteousness and true Holiness; which are called in Scripture the Divine Nature. These Principles may, in some Sense, be called SUPER NATURAL, *To prevent all Cavils, the Reader is desired particularly to observe, in what Sense I here use the Words, Natural and Supernatural:—Not as Epithets of Distinction between that which is Concreated or Connate, and that which is extraordinarily introduced afterwards, besides the first State of Things, or the Order established originally, beginning when Man's Nature began;—but as distinguishing between what belongs to, or flows from, that Nature which Man has, mee…ly as Man, and those things which are above this,—by which one is denominated, not only a Man, but a truly virtuous, holy, and spiritual Man; which, tho' they began, in Adam, as soon as Humanity began, and are necessary to the Perfection and Well-being of the human Nature, yet are not essential to the Constitution of it, or necessary to it's Being: inasmuch as one may have every Thing needful to his being Man, exclusively of them.—If in thus using the Words, Natural and Supernatural, I use them in an uncommon Sense, 'tis not from any Affectation of Singularity, but for Want of other Terms, more aptly to express my Meaning.being (however concreated or connate, yet) such as are above those Principles that are essentially implied in, or necessarily resulting from, and in…eperably connected with, meer human Nature; and being such as immediately depend on Man's Union and Communion with God, or Divine Communications and Influences of God's Spirit: Which tho withdrawn, and Man's Nature forsaken of these Principles, human Nature would be human Nature still; Mans Nature, as such, being intire without these Divine Principles; which the Scripture sometimes calls SPIRIT, in Contradistinction to Flesh. These superiour Principles were given to possess the Throne, and maintain an absolute Dominion in the Heart: the other, to be wholly subordinate and subservient. And while Things continued thus, all Things were in excellent Order, Peace and beautiful Harmony, and in their proper and perfect State. These divine Principles thus reigning, were the Dignity, Life, Happiness, and Glory of Man's Nature.—When Man …in'd, and broke God's Covenant, and fell under his Curse, these superiour Principles left his Heart: for indeed God then left him; that Communion with God, on which these Principles depended, intirely ceased; the Holy Spirit, that divine Inhabitant, forsook the House. Because it would have been utterly improper in it self, and inconsistent with the Covenant & Constitution God had established, that God should still maintain Communion with Man, and continue, by his friendly, gracious vital Influences, to dwell with him and in him, after he was become a Rebel, and had incur'd God's Wrath and Curse. Therefore immediately the superiour divine Principles wholly ceased; so Light ceases in a Room, when the Candle is withdrawn: and thus Man was left in a State of Darkness, woful Corruption and Ruin; Nothing but Flesh, without Spirit. The inferiour Principles of Self-love and natural Appetite, which were given only to serve, being alone, & left to themselves, of Course became reigning Principles; having no superiour Principles to regulate or controul them, they became absolute Masters of the Heart. The immediate Consequence of which was a fatal Catastrophe, a turning of all Things upside down, and the Succession of a State of the most odious & dreadful Confusion. Man did immediately set up himself, and the Objects of his private Affections and Appetites, as supream; and so they took the Place of GOD.—These inferiour Principles are like Fire in an House; which, we say, is a good Servant, but a bad Master; very useful while kept in it's Place, but if left to take Possession of the whole House, soon brings all to Destruction. Man's Love to his own Honour, separate Interest, and private Pleasure, which before was wholly subordinate unto Love to God & Regard to his Authority and Glory, now dispose and impel Man to pursue those Objects, without Regard to God's Honour, or Law; because there is no true Regard to these divine Things left in him. In Consequence of which, he seeks those Objects as much when against God's Honour and Law, as when agreable to 'em. And God still continuing strictly to require supr…m Regard to himself, and forbidding all Gratifications of these inferiour Passions, but only in perfect Subordination to the Ends, & Agreableness to the Rules and Limits, which his Holiness, Honour & Law prescribe, hence immediately arises Enmity in the Heart, now wholly under the Power of Self-love; and Nothing but War en…ues, in a constant Course, against God. As, when a Subject has once renounced his lawful Sovereign, and set up a Pretender in his Stead, a State of Enmity and War against his rightful King necessarily ensues.—It were easy to shew, how every Lust & depraved Disposition of Man's Heart would naturally arise from this privative Original, if here were Room for it. Thus 'tis easy to give an Account, how total Corruption of Heart should follow on Man's eating the forbidden Fruit, thô that was but one Act of Sin, without God's putting any Evil into his Heart, or implanting any bad Principle, or infusing any corrupt Taint, and so becoming the Author of Depravity. Only God's Withdrawing, as it was highly proper and necessary that he should, from Rebel-Man, being as it were driven away by his abominable Wickedness, and Men's natural Principles being left to themselves, this is sufficient to account for his becoming intirely corrupt, and bent on sinning against God.
And as Adam's Nature became corrupt, without God's implanting or infusing any evil Thing into his Nature; so does the Nature of his Posterity. God dealing with Adam as the Head of his Posterity (as has been shewn) and treating them as One, he deals with his Posterity as having all sinned in him. And therefore, as God withdrew spiritual Communion and his vital gracious Influence from the common Head, so he with-holds the same from all the Members, as they come into Existence; whereby they come into the World meer Flesh▪ and entirely under the Government of natural and inferiour Principles; and so become wholly corrupt, as Adam did.
Now, for God so far to have the Disposal of this Affair, as to with-hold those Influences, without which Nature will be corrupt, is not to be the Author of Sin.—But, concerning this, I must refer the Reader to what I have said of it in my Discourse on the Freedom of the Will. *Part iv. Sect. 9. P. 25, &c.Th…, besides w…t I have there said, I may here observe; That if for God so far to order and dispose the Being of Sin, as to permit it, by with-holding the gracious Influences necessary to prevent it, is for him to be the Author of Sin, then some Things which Dr. T. himself lays down, will equally be attended with this very Consequence. For, from Time to Time, he speaks of God's giving Men up to the vilest Lusts and Affections, by permitting, or leaving them. †…e… §. 356. and Par▪ on Rom. i. 24, 26.Now, if the Continuance of Sin, and it's Increase and Prevalence, may be in Consequence of God's Disposal, by with-holding his Grace, that is needful, under such Circumstances, to prevent it, without God's being the Author of that Continuance & Prevalence of Sin; then, by Parity of Reason, may the Being of Sin, in the Race of Adam, be in Consequence of God's Disposal, by with-holding his Grace, needful to prevent it, without his being the Author of that Being of Sin.
If here it should be said, that God is not the Author of Sin, in giving Men up to Sin, who have already made themselves sinful, because when Men have once made themselves sinful, their continuing so, and Sin's prevailing in them, and becoming more and more habitual, will follow in a Course of Nature:—I answer, Let that be remember'd, which this Writer so greatly urges, in Opposition to them that suppose original Corruption comes in a Course of Nature, viz. That the Course of Nature is Nothing without God. He utterly rejects the Notion of the Course of Nature's being a proper Active Cause, which will work, and go on by it self, without God, if he lets or permits it. But affirms, That the Course of Nature, separate from the Agency of God, is no Cause, or Nothing; and that the Course of Nature should continue it self, or go on to operate by it self, any more than at first produce it self, is absolutely impossible. ‖P. 410. See also with what V… …emence this is urged in P.413These strong Expressions are his. Therefore, to explain the Continuance of the Habits of Sin in the same Person, when once introduced, yea, to explain the very Being of any such Habits, in Consequence of repeated Acts, our Author must have Recourse to those same Principles, which he rejects as absurd to the utmost Degree, when alledged to explain the Corruption of Nature in the Posterity of Adam. For, that Habits, either good or bad, should continue after being once established, or that Habits should be settled and have Existence, in Consequence of repeated Acts, can be owing only to a Course of Nature, and those Laws of Nature which God has established.
That the Posterity of Adam should be born without Holiness, and so with a depraved Nature, comes to pass as much by the established Course of Nature, as the Continuance of a corrupt Disposition in a particular Person, after he once has it; or as much as Adam's continuing unholy and corrupt, after he had once lost his Holiness. For Adam's Posterity are from Him, and as it were in him, and belonging to him, according to an established Course of Nature,as much as the Branches of a Tree are, according to a Course of Nature,from the Tree, in the Tree, & belonging to the Tree; or (to make use of the Comparison which Dr.T. himself chuses and makes use of from Time to Time, as proper to illustrate the Matter *P. 14…, 187.) just as the Acorn is derived from the Oak. And I think, the Acorn is as much derived from the Oak, according to the Course of Nature, as the Buds and Branches. 'Tis true, that God, by his own almighty Power, creates the Soul of the Infant; and 'tis also true, as Dr. T. often insists, that God, by his immediate Power, fer…s and fashions the Body of the Infant in the Womb; yet he does both according to that Course of Nature, which he has been pleased to establish. The Course of Nature is demonstrated, by late Improvements in Philosophy, to be indeed what our Author himself says it is, viz. Nothing but the established Order of the Agency and Operation of the Author of Nature. And thô there be the immediate Agency of God in bringing the Soul into Existence in Generation, yet 'tis done according to the Method and Order established by the Author of Nature, as much as his producing the Bud, or the Acorn of the Oak; and as much as his continuing a particular Person in Being, after he once has Existence. God's immediate Agency in bringing the Soul of a Child into Being, is as much according to an established Order, as his immediate Agency in any of the Works of Nature whatsoever. 'Tis agreable to the established Order of Nature, that the good Qualities wanting in the Tree, should also be wanting in the Branches and Fruit. 'Tis agreable to the Order of Nature; that when a particular Person is without good moral Qualities in his Heart, he should continue without 'em, till some new Cause or Efficiency produces them: And 'tis as much agreable to an established Course and Order of Nature, that since Adam, the Head of the Race of Mankind, the Root of that great Tree with many Branches springing from it, was deprived of original Righteousness, the Branches should come forth without it. Or, if any dislike the Word, Nature, as used in this last Case, and in Stead of it c…use to call it a Constitution, or established Order of successive Events, the Alteration of the Name won't in the least alter the State of the present Argument. Where the Name, Nature, is allowed without Dispute, no more is meant than an established Method and Order of Events, settled and limited by divine Wisdom.
If any should object to this, That if the Want of original Righteousness be thus according to an established Course of Nature, then why are not Principles of Holiness▪ when restored by divine Grace, also communicated to Posterity? I answer, The divine Laws and Establishments of the Author of Nature are precisely settled by him, as he pleaseth, and limited by his Wisdom.—Grace is introduced among the Race of Mankind by a new Establishment; not on the Foot of the original Establishment of God, as the Head of the natural World, and Author of the first Creation; but by a Constitution of a vastly higher Kind; wherein Christ is made the Root of the Tree, whose Branches are his spiritual Seed and He is the Head of the new Creation; of which I need not stand now to speak particularly.
But here I desire it may be noted, that I don't suppose, the natural Depravity of the Posterity of Adam is owing to the Course of Nature only; 'tis also owing to the just Judgment of God. But yet I think, it is as truly, and in the same Manner, owing to the Course of Nature, that Adam's Posterity come into the World without original Righteousness, as that Adam continued without it, after he had once lost it.—That Adam continued destitute of Holiness, when he had lost it, and would always have so continued, had it not been restored by a Redeemer, was not only a natural Consequence, according to the Course of Things established by God, as the Author of Nature; but it was also a penal Consequence, or a Punishment of his Sin. God, in righteous Judgment, continued to absent himself from Adam, after he became a Rebel; and withheld from him now those Influences of the holy Spirit, which he before had. And just thus, I suppose it to be with every natural Branch of Mankind: all are looked upon as sinning in and with their common Root; and God righteously with-holds special Influences & spiritual Communications from all. for this Sin.—But of the Manner and Order of these Things, more may be said in the next Chapter.
On the whole, this grand Objection against the Doctrine of Men's being born corrupt, That it makes Him who gave us our Being, to be the Cause of the Being of Corruption, can have no more Force in it, than a like Argument has to prove, that if Men by a Course of Nature continue Wicked, or remain without Goodness, after they have by vicious Acts contracted vicious Habits, and so made themselves wicked, it makes Him who is the Cause of their Continuance in Being, and the Cause of the Continuance of the Course of Nature, to be the Cause of their continued Wickedness. Dr. T. says, *P. 412.God would not make any thing that is hateful to him; because, by the very Terms, He would hate to make such a Thing. But if this be good arguing in the Case to which it is applied, may I not as well say, God would not continue a Thing in Being that is hateful to him; because, by the very Terms, he would hate to continue such a Thing in Being? I think, the very Terms do as much (and no more) infer one of these Propositions, as the other.—In like Manner, the rest that he says on that Head, may be shewn to be unreasonable, by only substituting the Word, continue, in the Place of, make and propagate. I may fairly imitate his way of Reasoning, thus: To say, God continues us according to his own original Decree, or Law of Continuation, which obliges him to continue us in a Manner he abhors, is really to make bad worse: for it is supposing him to be defective in Wisdom, or by his own Decree or Law to lay such a Constraint upon his own Actions, that he cannot do what he would; but is continually doing what he would not, what he hates to do, and what he condemns in us; viz. continuing us sinful, when he condemns us for continuing our selves sinful.—If the Reasoning be weak in the one Case, it's no less so in the other.
If any shall still insist, That there is a Difference, between God's so disposing Things as that Depravity of Heart shall be continued, according to the settled Course of Nature, in the same Person, who has by his own Fault introduced it,—and his so disposing as that Men, according to a Course of Nature, should be born with Depravity, in Consequence of Adam's introducing Sin, by his Act, which we had no Concern in, and cannot be justly charged with: On this I would observe, that it is quite going off the Objection, which we have been upon, from God's Agency, and flying to another. It is then no longer insisted on, that simply for him, from whose Agency the Course of Nature and our Existence derive, so to dispose Things, as that we should have Existence in a corrupt State, is for him to be the Author of Sin: But the Plea now advanced is, That it is not proper and just for such an Agent so to dispose in this Case, and only in Consequence of Adam's Sin; it not being just to charge Adam's Sin to his Posterity. And this Matter shall be particularly considered, in Answer to the next Objection; to which I now proceed.