they contracted a natural guilt by coming through their parents' loins, which cannot be washed away but by the blood of Christ. And lastly, that this infection remains, even when the person is born again, so long as in this life, is plain, in that otherwise heaven would be brought down to earth, and earth turned into heaven. For to have sin perfectly subdued under us, and grace perfectly confirmed in us, is certainly the crown of the crown of glory, the very heaven of heaven, which I cannot see how any one can in reason expect so long as himself is upon earth. But I need not speak any more to this, which is so sadly experienced by all Christians. None that have any grace will say they have no sin and he that saith he hath no sin, it is an argument to me he hath no grace. He that doth not find sin warring against his graces, surely he hath no grace to war against his sin. And so to heap up arguments to prove this, would be to spend time to prove that which nobody can deny, nay, that which, if any one doth deny, his very denying it is a proof of it. : 3. Confirmation from the FATHERS. And this hath been. the doctrine of the Catholic church in all ages. St. Cyprian tells us, There were before Christ also famous men, prophets and priests; but being conceived and born in sin, they wanted neither original nor personal guilt.' And elsewhere", But if the forgiveness of sins is granted to the greatest offenders, and such as sinned very much against God, when they have believed, and no one is kept back from baptism and grace; how much more ought an infant not to be forbidden it, who being newly born hath committed no sin, saving that it being after a carnal manner born of Adam, it hath contracted the contagion of the old death in its first nativity? Who cometh easier to receive remission m Fuerant et ante Christum viri insignes, prophetæ et sacerdotes. Sed in peccatis concepti et nati, nec originali nec personali caruere delicto. — Cyprian. de Jejunio et Tentat. " Porro autem si etiam gravissimis delictoribus et in Deum multum antè peccantibus, cùm postea crediderint, remissio peccatorum datur, et à baptismo atque gratia nemo prohibetur; quanto magis prohiberi non debet infans, qui recens natus nil peccavit, nisi quòd secundùm Adam carnaliter natus contagium mortis antiquæ primâ nativitate contraxit? Qui ad remissionem pcccatorum accipiendam hoc ipso facilius accedit, quòd illi remittuntur non propria sed aliena peccata.- Id. Epist. ad Fidum. of sins, in that not its own but another's sins are pardoned to it; that is, not the sins committed in his own person, but only that which was committed by Adam.' And Athanasius saith, "That as Adam sinning, the sin descended to all men; so the Lord conquering, that his conquest at last comes to us.' And Origen P, Every one that cometh into this world is said to be affected with a certain pollution: and therefore the Scripture saith," There is none clean from filth, though he be but one day old." Upon this very account, therefore, because a man is placed in his mother's womb, and receiveth the materials of his body from his father's seed, he may therefore be said to be defiled both in his father and mother.' And hence is that of St. Basil, 'Here is mercy without judgment, for he did not come to judge the world, but to save the world: but there will not be judgment without mercy, because there cannot be a man found that is clear from filth, though it be his birth-day.' St. Ambrose expresseth it elegantly, 'Who is he that lends out sin but the devil? From whom Eve having borrowed sin, by the usury of obnoxious succession she lent it out again to all mankind.' But who can speak fuller to this purpose than St. Augustine, who hath written many books in the defence of this truth? And he, amongst many other things I might quote, saith expressly, For as infants do not imitate ο Ωσπερ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παραβάντος εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἡ ἀπάτη διέβη. οὕτω τοῦ Κυρίου ἰσχύσαντος ἡ τοιαύτη ἰσχὺς λοιπὸν εἰς ἡμᾶς διαβήσεται.-Athanas. contra Arian. Orat. 2. P Omnis qui ingreditur hunc mundum in quadam contaminatione effici dicitur: propter quod et Scriptura dicit, Nemo mundus à sorde, nec si unius diei fuerit vita ejus.' Hoc ipso ergo quòd in vulva matris est positus, et quòd materiam corporis ab origine paterni seminis sumit, in patre et matre contaminatus dici potest.— Origen. in Lev. Hom. 12. 4 Ενταῦθα μὲν οὖν ἔλεός ἐστι χωρὶς κρίσεως, οὐ γὰρ ἦλθε ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ ̓ ἵνα σώσῃ τὸν κόσμον· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἐστὶ κρίσις χωρὶς ἐλέους διὰ τό μὴ δύνασθαι ἄνθρωπον καθαρὸν εὐρεθῆναι ἀπὸ ῥύπου, μηδὲ ἐὰν μία ἡμέρα ἡ τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ. -Basil. in Psa. 32. Quis iste peccati est fœnerator nisi diabolus? A quo Eva mutuata peccatum obnoxiæ successionis usuris defœneravit omne genus humanum.— Ambros. in Tob. c 9. • Nam sicut non imitantur Christum parvuli quia non possunt, et Christ, because they cannot, and yet may belong to his spiritual grace, so without the imitation of the first man, yet they are bound with the infection of being begotten carnally of him.' And that this infection remains also after baptism, the same father is express, Let it not be thought that we should say that lust (or concupiscence) is sanctified, with which the regenerate themselves are forced to conflict in a certain intestine war, as with an enemy, and to desire and pray to be healed from that plague.' And elsewhere", 'So long as thou livest here, sin will necessarily be in thy members; but howsoever, let the dominion of it be taken away, let it not be obeyed in what it commands.' And again*, ' Is all iniquity blotted out (in baptism)? Doth no infirmity remain? If no infirmity remained, we might live without sin. But who can say this, unless he be proud? Unless unworthy of the mercy of the Redeemer? Unless he will deceive himself, and be one in whom there is no truth?' And elsewhere, Though in that we are born of God, we cannot commit sin; yet there is still that in us, that we are born of Adam.' I shall conclude this with that of Fulgentius, For the saints themselves see that though through grace tamen ad ejus gratiam spiritualem pertinere possunt; ita sine imitatione primi hominis, contagione tamen ex ipso carnalis generationis obstricti sunt. -Aug. contra Jul. Pelag. lib. vi. c. 12. Vide et de Peccat. Merit. et Remissione. lib. i. c. 9. Absit ut dicamus sanctificari (concupiscentiam) cum qua necesse habent regenerati, si non in vacuum Dei gratiam susceperunt, intestino quodam bello tanquam cum hoste confligere, et ab ea peste desiderare atque optare sanari. Aug. contra Jul. Pelag. lib. vi. c. 6. "Quamdiu vivis, peccatum necesse est esse in membris tuis; saltem illi regnum auferatur, non fiat quod jubet. Id. in Job. Tract. 41. * Nunquid quia deleta est tota iniquitas? Nulla remansit infirmitas ? Si non remansisset, sine peccato hîc viveremus. Quis autem audeat hoc dicere, nisi superbus? Nisi misericordiâ liberatoris indignus? Nisi qui seipsum vult decipere, et in quo veritas non est?—Ibid. y Quamvis enim in quantum ex Deo nati sumus non peccemus, inest tamen adhuc etiam quòd ex Adam nati sumus. - Id. in Epist. ad Parmen. lib. ii. c. 7. Vident enim (animæ justificatorum) quia licèt sint gratiæ dono ab operum malorum contagione libera, teneantur tamen cogitationum varietate captivæ. Quis enim gloriabitur castum se habere cor? Quis gloriabitur they be free from the contagion of evil works, yet that they are held captive by the variety of thoughts. For who can glory that he hath a chaste heart? Or who can glory that he is quite cleansed from sin? Let us consider who and how just a person it was that said, "In many things we offend all." And thus we see the fathers too asserting that 'original sin standeth not in the following of Adam,' &c. ARTICLE X. THE CONDITION OF MAN AFTER THE FALL OF ADAM IS SUCH, THAT HE CANNOT TURN AND PREPARE HIMSELF BY HIS OWN NATURAL STRENGTH AND GOOD WORKS TO FAITH AND CALLING UPON GOD. WHEREFORE WE HAVE NO POWER TO DO GOOD WORKS PLEASANT AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD WITHOUT THE GRACE OF CHRIST PREVENTING US, THAT WE MAY HAVE A GOOD WILL, AND WORKING WITH US WHEN WE HAVE THAT GOOD WILL. WHEN man fell from God, great was his fall; for he fell from the Creator to the creature: he fell from heaven to earth he fell from the height of happiness to the depth of misery, for he fell from holiness into sin. And ever since man first fell from holiness to sin, he hath been disabled from raising up himself again from sin to holiness. Ever since he first chose the evil before the good, he hath been disenabled to choose the good before the evil. I know that as he was at the first created with freedom of will", he had power so mundum se esse à peccatis? Attendamus qualis quantusque justus dixerit, In multis etiam offendimus omnes.'-Fulgent. Epist. 3. ad Probam de Virginit. et Humilit. * Καὶ ὅτι αὐτεξουσίους ἡμᾶς εἰργάσατο ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων δημιουργὸς, καὶ πανταχοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης τῆς ἡμετέρας ἢ κατακρίνει ἢ στεφανοῖ.-Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 20. Διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἡμῖν δεδώρηται καὶ ἐν τῇ φύσει καὶ ἐν τῇ συνείᾳ, ὅτι ἡμῶν ἐναπέθετο τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς κακίας καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς. Ibid. Hom. 23. Τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρωπους αὐτεξουσίους λέγω ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γεγενῆσθαι, ἀλλ ̓ οὐ παντεξουσίους. Orig. Dial. 3. contra Marcion. Ne quid deesset bonis - to choose the good as to refuse the evil, and so to refuse the evil as to choose the good. And I know also, that when he fell from God he did not quite lose the freedom of his will", for he is still a reasonable creature; and wheresoever there is reason in the understanding, there is always freedom in the will. But I know withal that this freedom of will is much corrupted and degenerated now since the fall, from what it was before the fall. Then it was free to choose the good as well as the evil; now it is free to choose the evil, but not the good: then it was free from sin to holiness; now it is free from holiness to sin: then it could so refuse the evil as to choose the good, and so choose the good as to refuse the evil; but now it can only so refuse the good as to choose the evil, and so choose the evil as to refuse the good. So that though the fall did not destroy it, yet it corrupted ejus etiam liberum arbitrium ei indulsit, ut bonum ejus esset voluntarium, non coactum.—Bern. de Pug. Spir. 1. b Quis autem nostrum dicat quòd primi hominis peccato perierit liberum arbitrium de humano genere? Libertas quidem periit per peccatum, sed illa quæ in paradiso fuit habendi plenam cum immortalitate justitiam, propter quod natura humana divinâ indiget gratiâ, dicente Domino, 'Si vos Filius liberaverit, tunc verè liberi eritis,' utique liberi ad bene justeque vivendum. Nam liberum arbitrium usque adeo in peccatore non periit, ut per illud peccent maximè omnes qui cum delectatione peccant et amore peccati; hoc eis placet quod eis libet: Unde et apostolus, ' Cùm essetis,' inquit, servi peccati, liberi fuistis justitiæ.'-Aug. contra duas Epist. Pelag. lib. i. c. 2. • Libertas arbitrii cunctis pariter ratione utentibus convenit.—Bernard. de Grat. et Lib. Arbitrio. Φάμεν τοίνυν ευθέως τῷ λογικῷ συνεισέρχεσθαι τὸ avrižovcov.- Damasc. de Orthodox. lib. ii. cap. 27. Πᾶς ὁ βουλευόμενος ὡς ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ τῆς αἱρέσεως οὔσης τῶν πρακτῶν βουλεύεται ἵνα τὸ προκριθὲν ἐκ τῆς βουλῆς ἕληται καὶ ἑλόμενος πράξη· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐξ ἀνάγκης παρυφίσταται τῷ λογικῷ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον· ἢ γὰρ οὐκ ἔσται λογικὸν, ἢ λογικὸν ὄν κύριον ἔσται πράξεων καὶ αὐτεξούσιον, ὅθεν καὶ τὰ ἄλογα οὐκ εἰσὶν αὐτεξούσια· ἄγονται γὰρ μᾶλλον ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἤπερ ἄγουσι—Ibid. d Quò enim primus homo naturam suam voluntariè fædavit, atque oppressit infirmitas, nisi divinæ gratiæ medicamento præventum in uno quoque crimine sanetur atque adjuvetur liberum indesinenter arbitrium. Est quidem liberum non tamen bonum; est liberum non tamen rectum; est liberum non tamen sanum; est liberum non tamen justum. Et quanto magis à bonitate, rectitudine, sanitate, justitiaque, liberum, tanto magis malitiæ, perversitatis, infirmitatis atque iniquitatis mortiferâ servitute captivum.- Fulgent. de Incarn. et Grat. D. Jes. Ch. Vide Cassidor. in Psa. 117. |