or less the cause of it by his own so he became the cause of it by his own by thereby depraving his own Nature first and then communicating that depravation to those that descended from him Of the former whereof as there cannot well be any doubt considering the hainousness of that sin which he committed That as it could not but occasion the withdrawing of the Divine Grace from Adam so neither but draw after it the depravation of his Nature as which receiv'd all its rectitude from the other so there will be as little doubt of the latter if we compare what S. Paul here saith concerning Adam's being the cause of all our sins by his own with what he afterward saith * Rom. 7.17 20. concerning Men's falling into actual sin by vertue of an evil principle that dwelleth in them For if all actual sin proceed immediately from such an evil principle that evil principle must be also from Adam as without which otherwise he could not be the cause of our sins by his own nor constitute us sinners by it IV. I will not be over positive in defining by what means this evil principle is convey'd because I am not well assur'd how our very Nature is It shall suffice me to represent what may tend in some measure toward the clearing of it That Original sin cleaving to our nature from the first beginnings of it must consequently be conveyed to us by the same general means by which our nature is even by natural generation yea that the Scripture teacheth us so to reason where it affirms Men to be conceiv'd in sin (z) Psal 51.5 to become flesh by being born †Joh. 3.6 of flesh and unclean * Job 14.4 by being brought out of those Parents that are so That though the more particular means by which Original Sin is convey'd cannot with any certainty be assign'd because it is alike uncertain whether those Souls in which it is most reasonable to place it be either traduced or immediately created yet there would not be any uncertainty as to this particular if we believ'd the Souls of Men to be traduc'd as several of the Antients †Vid. Vossi Hist Pelag. Lib. 2. Parte 3. Thes 1. and not a few of the Moderns have believ'd For so it would not only not be difficult to apprehend the particular means of the others conveyance but almost impossible to overlook them because making it to pass together with those Souls to which it adheres and diffuse it self from thence to those Bodies to which they are united That though the traduction of Souls be not without its difficulties and such as I shall not be so vain as to attempt the solution of yet it is in that particular but of the same condition with the immediate Creation of them that I say not also less exceptionable as to the business of Original Sin In fine That as it hath nothing from Scripture to prejudice the belief of it as appears by the solutions which have been long since (a) Hotham's Introd to the Trent Philosophy given to the Objections from it So it seems to me much more agreeable to that account which it gives of the Creation and indeed to the Nature of a Parent For what can be more clear from the Story of the Creation than that God designed once for all to Create all the Beings which he intended leaving them and particularly Man to carry on the Succession by those productive principles which he had planted in them For if so what should hinder us from believing but that Men produce their like after the same manner that other Creatures do and by the same Divine Benediction and concurrence Sure I am as they will otherwise fall short of the powers of inferiour beings as well as be an anomalie in the Creation so they will be but very imperfectly in the condition of Parents because contributing only to that part which is the least considerable in their Posterity Only as I list not to contend about any thing of which I my self am not more strongly persuaded So I shall leave it to those whom the immediate creation of Souls better pleaseth to make their advantage of it and satisfie themselves from it concerning the means of Original Sin 's conveyance Which if they do they shall do more than the great S. Augustin could after all his travails in this Argument Because professing that he could not find either by reading or praying or reasoning (b) Ep. 157. ad Optatum how Original Sin could be defended with the opinion of the Creation of Souls V. I may not dismiss the Argugument that is now before us or indeed so much as attend to the consideration of those Objections that are made against it before I have also enquir'd whether that which hath the name of Original Sin be truly and properly such and not rather so stiled in respect of that first sin from which it proceeded or in respect of those sins to which it leads For beside that that Church whose Catechism I have chosen to explain leads us to the consideration of it because both there and elsewhere (c) Art. of Relig. 6. affirming it to have the nature of a Sin to make us the Children of Wrath and to deserve God's Wrath and Damnation The resolution of it is of no small moment toward the right stating of our duty and the valuableness of that remedy which Christianity hath provided for it For neither otherwise can we look upon Original Sin as any proper matter for our Repentance whatsoever it may be for our lamentation nor upon Baptism as bringing any other pardon to Infants than that of the Sin of their first Parents and which they who look upon Original Sin as rather our unhappiness than fault are generally as far from charging them with This only would be premis'd for the better understanding of it that by Sin is not meant any actual transgression of a Law for no Man was ever so absurd as to affirm that concerning Original Sin but that which is contrary to a Law in the nature of an evil habit and both imports an absence of that Righteousness which ought to be in us and an inclination to those evils from which we ought to be averse This as it is no less the transgression of a Law than any actual sin is so making the person in whom it is as obnoxious to punishment and consequently to be look'd upon as yet more properly a sin Now that that which we call Original Sin is really such in this latter notion will appear if these two things be considered First that the Scripture gives it the title of sin Secondly that it represents it as such upon the account of our being obliged by the Law of God to have in us a contrary temper That the Scripture gives that whereof we speak the title of sin is evident from those Texts which we before made use
present state by casualties and diseases yea so far as to make the person forget his own name But though the Soul should be supposed to fall into such a forgetfulness by entring into a body as we see it is a long time before it comes to exercise its respective faculties yet is there any reason to think it should continue in it after it hath gotten above the infirmities of the other yea so far as to reason with that clearness wherewith this Author doth in many things and with great plausibility in all others For though Men may happen to be so stricken by a disease as to forget even their own names yea have undoubtedly suffered in that nature yet is there no evidence from story that I know of or indeed presumption for the supposition of it that though the parties did again recover the free use of their faculties yet they were unable to look back to their pristine state or call to mind any of the passages thereof So much more specious than strong are the reasons that Author alledgeth to shew the Soul to be in a natural incapacity to call to mind its pristin state and actions And yet if they prov'd what they intended they would hardly make it credible that it should be without all knowledge of them God who thrusts it down into its present state by reason of its former errours being likely enough to bring them to its mind though it should be otherwise ignorant of them Otherwise he should neither make it sensible of its own guilt and his choosing thus to punish it which is one supposed end of his thrusting it down nor careful to break off from it which is another And I shall only add that as we cannot therefore be in any great danger from those Objections which pretend to derive Original sin from another principle So shall we not now be much incommoded by the force of those Objections which profess more directly to impugn the derivation of it from Adam For as those Objections are principally founded upon the incompetency of Adam to involve all mankind in the guilt of his transgression so I have not only made it appear already that Adam was no way incompetent for that purpose because appointed by God as the representative of all mankind but said enough though not to answer yet to silence what is objected against it from the supposed want of our consent to his transgression Which will leave nothing more for us to do than to consider what is objected against the means we have before assign'd of the conveying of that Original Sin whereof we speak But as I have not been positive in assigning the particular means of its conveyance and must therefore be the less concern'd to answer what is objected against them So I shall oppose to all those Objections the assurance we have from the Scripture of our having it in us from our Conception and Birth yea contracting it from those fleshly and unclean persons from whom we are descended That as it is enough to shew that it is conveyed to us by the same general means by which our very nature is so making it at least probable that it passeth from them to us together with our Souls and from thence diffuseth it self unto our Bodies And how far a probability so founded ought to prevail against all the Arguments which are oppos'd to the traduction of Souls especially when the Scripture seems to favour that traduction also will be no hard matter for him to judge who shall consider on the one hand the shortness of our own reasonings and on the other what difficulties attend the Creation and Infusion as well as the traduction of Souls For as those very difficulties will oblige us to sit down after all with a probable assent in this affair so the shortness of our own reasonings to guide that assent rather by probable testimonies of Scripture than by probable arguments from Reason Because as we are more assur'd of the truth of those testimonies than we can be of the truth of any of those arguments which we ground our selves upon in this affair So we cannot so easily fail in our apprehensions concerning the other Nothing more being requir'd toward the apprehending the force of the former than the due consideration of the sense of the words wherein they are expressed whereas to the apprehending of the force of the latter we must have a clear knowledge of the nature of those things about which they are conversant which is certainly a matter of far greater difficulty and wherein therefore we may more easily mistake Only if what is said in this particular may not be thought to be satisfactory because rather a bar to what is objected against the traduction of Souls and consequently of Original Sin than any direct answer to it I shall desire those who are dissatisfi'd with it to give such an answer as they themselves demand to what is objected by the other party against the immediate Creation and infusion of them It seeming not so easie to imagine that I may not now press them with any other inconveniencies that God should create a Soul on purpose to infuse it into such incestuous conceptions as he himself cannot but be thought to abhor For my self as I can with equal ease digest the traduction of Souls with all its inconveniencies or rather acquiesce in that evidence which the Doctrine of the Scripture and the simple nature of a generation do seem to suggest So I shall hardly think it reasonable to quit it till they who assert the Creation of Souls free it from the former inconvenience and other such difficulties wherewith it is alike encumbred For till that be done the traduction of Souls will not only be of greater probability but serve more clearly to declare how that corruption which our first Parents contracted passed from them unto their Children and so on to succeding Generations PART IV. Of the things signified by Baptism on the part of God or its inward and spiritual Grace The Contents The things signified by Baptism are either more general or particular More general as that Covenant of Grace which passeth between God and Man and that body of Men which enter into Covenant with him More particular what the same God doth by vertue of that Covenant oblige himself to bestow upon the Baptized and what those Baptized ones do on their part undertake to perform These latter ones proposed to be considered and entrance made with the consideration of what God obligeth himself to bestow upon the Baptized called by the Church An inward and spiritual Grace Which inward and spiritual Grace is shewn to be of two sorts to wit such as tend more immediately to our spiritual and eternal welfare or such as only qualifie us for those Graces that do so To the former sort are reckon'd that inward and spiritual Grace which tends to free us from the guilt of sin called by the Church
will appear to be yet harder if we consider the opinion of the Jews concerning that which may seem to have been both it's Type and exemplar For as I have made it appear before (w) Part 1. that even they were not without their Baptism and such a one as was moreover intended for the same general ends for which both their Circumcision was and our Baptism is So I have made it appear also (x) Ibid. that the persons so baptiz'd among them were accounted as persons new-born yea so far that after that time they were not to own any of their former relations In fine that that new birth was look'd upon as so singular that it gave occasion to their Cabalistical Doctors to teach that the old soul of the Baptized Proselyte vanished and a new one succeeded in its place For if this was the condition of that Type of Christian Baptism how much more of the Antitype thereof Especially when it is farther probable as hath been also (y) Part 2. noted from the discourse of our Saviour to Nicodemus that he both alluded in it to that Baptism of theirs and intimated the conformity of his own Baptism to it in that particular And though after so full an evidence of this relation of Baptism to regeneration it may seem hardly worth our while to alledge the expressions of the Heathen concerning it Yet I cannot forbear for the conformity thereof to the present argument to take notice of one remarkable one of Lucian (z) Lucian Philopatr p. 999. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who brings in one Triepho thus discoursing after his scoffing manner But when saith he that Galilean lighted upon me who had a bald Pate a great Nose who ascended up to the third Heaven and there learn'd the most excellent things meaning as is suppos'd S. Paul he renewed us by water made us to tread in the footsteps of the blessed and deliver'd us from the Regions of the ungodly In which passage under the title of renewing men by water he personates the Christian Doctrine concerning their being regenerated or renewed by Baptism and accordingly makes it the subject of his reproach PART VII Of our Union to the Church by Baptism The Contents Of the relation of the sign of Baptism to our Vnion to the Church and that relation shewn to be no less than that of a means whereby that Vnion is made This evidenc'd in the first place from the declarations of the Scripture more particularly from its affirming all Christians to be baptiz'd into that Body as those who were first baptiz'd after the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles to have been thereby added to their company and made partakers with the rest in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship in breaking of Bread and in Prayers The like evidence of the same Union to the Church by Baptism from the declarations of the Church it self and the consequences of that Vnion shewn to be such as to make that also to be accounted one of the inward and spiritual Graces of that Baptism by which it is made HAving thus given an account of such inward and spiritual Graces of Baptism as tend more immediately to our spiritual and eternal welfare It remains that I say somewhat of that which though of no such immediate tendency yet is not without all because qualifying us for the reception of the other That Vnion I mean which we thereby obtain to Christ's mystical body the Church and by which we who were before Aliens from it as well as from God and Christ become members of the Church and partakers of the several priviledges thereof Which Vnion if any Man scruple to reckon among the inward and spiritual Graces of Baptism properly so call'd I will not contend with him about it Provided he also allow of it as a thing signified by it on the part of God and Christ and as moreover a Grace and favour to the person on whom it is bestow'd For as that is all I ask at present concerning the Union now in question So what I farther mean by it's being an inward and spiritual Grace shall be clear'd in the process of this Discourse and receive that establishment which it requires In order whereunto I will shew the outward and visible sign of Baptism to be a means whereby that Union is made and then point out the consequences of that Union That the outward visible sign of Baptism is in the nature of a means whereby we are united to the Church will appear if we reflect upon what the Scripture hath said concerning it or the agreeing declarations of the Church it self For what else to begin with the former can S. Paul * 1 Cor. 12.13 be thought to mean where he affirms all whether Jews or Gentiles or of what ever other outward differences to have been baptiz'd by one spirit into one body For as it is plain from the foregoing †1 Cor. 12.12 verse or verses that S. Paul entreats of Christ's Body the Church and consequently that the baptizing here spoken of must be meant of our Baptizing into it So it is alike plain from what it was designed to prove as well as from the natural force of the expression that it was set to denote also our being united to it thereby For as we cannot impose a more natural sense upon Baptized into that body than our being receiv'd by Baptism into it as the Baptized person is within the water and conseqently some way united to it So much less if we consider what it was intended to prove even * 1 Cor. 12.12 that Christians how many soever are but that one body For how doth their being baptiz'd into it prove them to be that one Body but that that visible sign by which they are so unites them to one another and to the whole A meer sign of Union though it may shew what the partakers thereof ought to be yet being no just proof of what they are and much less as S. Paul seems to argue that they are so by the means of it And indeed as it will therefore be hard to make the sign here spoken of to be any thing less than a means of our Union to the Church So especially if we consider what is elsewhere said concerning those who first after the descent of the Holy Ghost were baptized in the name of Christ S. Luke not only affirming of those new baptiz'd ones that they were added to (a) Acts 2.41 the Apostles and their other company which he afterwards expresseth (b) Acts 2.47 by added to the Church but that they were partakers (c) Acts 2.42 with the rest in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in Prayers For this shews their having an interest in all the priviledges of that Body and therefore much more their being united to it But so it appears that the Antient Church esteemed of it whose determination is
of the more force because it is only about the supposed means of Union to its own Body Justin Martyr after he had spoken of the baptizing of such as offer'd themselves to the Christian Church which he himself expresseth when so baptiz'd by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or conjoyned with themselves affirming that they were immediately brought where the brethren were assembled there to partake with them of the common Prayers that were then offer'd up of the kiss of peace and of the Lord's Supper Which last particular I have the more confidently represented the new baptized persons as then admitted to because the same Father doth not only make no distinction between them and the other brethren in it though he subjoyns the business of the Eucharist to the former Prayers and kiss of peace but affirms the same Eucharist presently after to be lawful to none to partake of but those that believ'd their Doctrine receiv'd the laver of regeneration and liv'd as Christ delivered For as he intimates thereby the admission of those that believ'd and were baptiz'd if they were also such as liv'd as Christ deliver'd which the new baptized were in reason to be accounted till they had given proof to the contrary So there is reason to believe from the use of Excommunication in the Church that that addition of living as Christ deliver'd was not made to bar the new baptized from it till they gave farther proof of such a life but to intimate the exclusion of those who after they had been admitted to it liv'd otherwise than Christianity prescrib'd So making the persons excluded the unbaptiz'd or ill living Christians and consequently the contrary thereto admitted I deny not indeed that the Rite of Confirmation did very antiently come between the receiving of Baptism and the Eucharist I deny not farther because of what was before (d) Expl. of the Sacrament in general Part 4. quoted from Justin Martyr concerning the particular Prayer that was made for the new baptized person that the substance thereof was then in use even prayer for grace for him to live as he had but now profess'd But as the design of Confirmation appears to have been to procure for the new baptiz'd a more plentiful effusion of God's Graces which is no intimation at all of his having been before no perfect Christian or not perfectly united to the Church so Baptism may for all that be look'd upon as the means of our Union to the Church which is all that I have taken upon me to assert For the farther evidencing whereof I will in the next place alledge a passage of Tertullian (e) De Bapt. c. 6. which will though not so directly prove the same thing That I mean where he saith that when the profession of our faith and sponsion of our salvation are pledged under the three witnesses before spoken of there is necessarily added thereto the mention of the Church because where those three are even the Father Son and Holy Ghost there is also the Church which is the body of the Three For as it is evident from thence that Men were even from his time baptiz'd expresly into the belief of the Church as well as into the belief of the Trinity So it will not be difficult to inferr that they were also baptiz'd into the unity thereof and made members of the Church by it Because as he affirms the Trinity to become Sponsors of our Salvation in Baptism as well as either Witnesses or objects of our Profession So he affirms those Sponsors to be as it were emboyed in the Church and consequently to exert their saving influences within it which supposeth Men's being united to it by Baptism in order to their partaking of the salutariness of the other And indeed though in that form which our Saviour prescrib'd (f) Matt 28.19 for Baptism there is mention only of baptizing in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost yet inasmuch as he prescrib'd that very form for the making of Disciples (g) Ibid. by he must consequently be suppos'd to propose it for the aggregating them to that body which he had already begun to frame and making them alike members of it There being therefore no doubt to be made of the outward visible sign of Baptism being a means of our Vnion to Christ's mystical body the Church it may not be amiss if it were only to manifest the great advantages thereof as to that particular to shew the consequences of that Vnion Which we shall find in the general to be a right to all those priviledges which Christ hath purchas'd for it More particularly to the partaking of its Sacred Offices and in and through the means of them of those inward and spiritual Graces which those Sacred Offices were intended to procure or convey For every member of a Society being by that membership of his entituled to all the priviledges that belong to it as such He who becomes a member of Christ's Body the Church as every Man who is united to it by Baptism doth must in his proportion be entituled to all those priviledges which Christ hath purchas'd for it and particularly to the priviledge of partaking of its sacred Offices and in and by the means of them of those inward and spiritual Graces which those sacred Offices were intended to procure or convey Which how great a commendation it is of our Vnion to that Body and consequently of that Baptism by which it was made will need no other proof than the Scripture's assuring us that Christ is the Saviour (h) Eph. 5.23 of that Body and the promises it makes to those Prayers (i) Matt. 18.19 20. that are made by it and to that Euchrist (k) Matt. 26.26 c. which is administred in it The purport of those promises being no other than the granting what is asked by it and particularly all those benefits which Christ's Body and Blood were intended for the procuring of And if these be as no doubt they are the consequences of our union to the Church by Baptism yea so far as I have elsewhere (l) Expl. of the Creed Art. of The forgiveness of sins shewn that they are not ordinarily to be attained out of it That very Union may not improperly be stil'd one of its inward and spiritual Graces because leading to those that are most strictly such and indeed the only ordinary means of obtaining them PART VIII Of the Profession that is made by the Baptized person The Contents The things signified by Baptism on the part of the baptized brought under consideration and shewn from several former discourses which are also pointed to to be an Abrenunciation of sin a present belief of the Doctrine of Christianity and particularly of the Trinity and a resolution for the time to come to continue in that belief and act agreeably to its Laws Our resolution of acting agreeably to the Laws of Christianity more particularly consider'd and