which necessarily serves to make up the perfect person of a sinner and so much so is sinfull and must and shall be punished in it selfe or Christ Sixthly There is no law given to substances but to creatures not to parts but persons neither can any other be accused condemned or convicted of sin Now where no law is Rom 4.15 there is no transgression saith the Apostle not simple parts therefore but onely persons can be sinfull Seventhly It is manifest it could have no actuall sin and originall sin is not of that nature as was before shewed that it cannot come to us neither by the soule nor body nor union of both if it be created and by propagation onely if it be propagated for which cause Christ onely was freed from the ordinary course of propagation Lastly If meere substances be sinfull it cannot be shifted but Christ was infected with originall sin for his substance was in Adam in as much as he was his sonne and so by this doctrine must needs be sinfull This doctrine not so well cleared of old But this seemes to be graunted by Divines and therefore they say that the holy Ghost did in the same moment that it was assumed cleanse that masse whereof his body was made from sin and so it was sanctified from the first conception in the Virgins wombe Whereof we give this reason that it became not the eternall sonne of God personally to assume unto himselfe a nature stained defiled and polluted with sin And farther they say that indeed Mary was a sinner but the masse of flesh which was taken out of her substance was at the same instant sanctified by the operation of the holy Ghost So that it is graunted that the substāce wherof Christs humanitie was made was sinfull before it was assumed This point not being so well cleared hath much troubled the Church in former ages being assailed with divers dangerous errours why else did the Marcionites and Manichees hold that Christ had an incorporeall or heavenly body which was not takē from the Virgin but only passed through her and what else caused Apollinarius to hold that Christ had no humane soule but only a body which was insould with the deity but to free him from sin 2. If it had been sinfull it could never have been sanctified That we may therefore fully cleare this truth from all such phantasticall opinions I deny that it can be truly and properly said that Christs humanitie was ever sinfull And not onely for the former reasons but because if it had beene sinfull it could never have beene sanctifièd the Sonne of God could never have beene incarnate nor any man ever saved For who should have purged away that sin the holy Ghost nay there is one onely Mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 and it is through his blood that wee have redemption Eph. 1.7 even the forgivenesse of sinnes Col. 1.14.20 and it is the blood of his crosse that reconcileth all things 1 Pet. 1.2 And againe Heb. 9.22 it is the sprinkling of the blood of Christ that giveth power to the purging away of sin and therefore also it is said that without shedding of blood there is no remission So that the bloud of Christ onely cleanseth from sin Yea but the holy Ghost also sanctifies It is true Obj. Mat. 3.11 Ioh. 3.5 Rom. 8.14 the holy Ghost doth now sanctifie the elect purg out sin infuse grace but all by vertue of Christs redemption For if he had not first I meane in the order of nature takē away the guilt by his bloud no man could have been sanctified by the Spirit Now this he could not doe by his own humanitie for it was impossible that he shuld purge sin by that blood which he had not therfore if it had been necessary that Christ should have takē away the guilt corruption of his own nature which could not be but by the same nature taken before he tooke it it had been impossible that ever Christ could have bin incarnate Yea but God is omnipotent True Obj. 2. but his omnipotency cannot work cōtradictions such is this we must take heed therefore how we hold this lest at unawares we shut out Christ from being a Saviour and our selves and all other from salvation by him Now then if his substance was never sinfull the worke of the holy Ghost herein was not to cleanse it from sin but to seperate that which was not sinfull in it selfe from a sinfull creature that so being free it might be assured by the divine nature subsist in the person of the same CHAPTER XXIV How Christs Incarnation was free from corruption How Christ was free from sin THis ground being laid wee have a faire way opened for the freeing of our Saviour Christ from sin in every respect although his soule and body came from Adam as well as ours which we shall more fully conceive by shewing how it was 1. How free and why it was so 1. His person free For the first seeing neither the substance of soule or body can be sinfull as it is substance but as both together are a person for as much as Christs soule body is no person but as it is united with the divine nature he namely his person never was and so never could sin in Adam And thus is his person free If then it be said that though his person was not His humanitie free nor could sin in Adam yet seeing his humanitie was in him and came from him else he were not true man that must needs sin in him It cannot possibly be neither 1. From imputation For as is said his humanitie without the divinitie never was a person and not being a person but substance only 2. By propagation he is thereby exempted from the common condition of men and originall sin could not justly be imputed unto him 3. His substance in the Virgin free Neither could it be propagated because he was conceived after an extraordinary manner without man and thus is his humanitie free also If it be further said that though he be not sinfull as Christ nor yet as having the meer substance of man yet he must needs be sinfull as his substance was belonging to the person of corrupt Adam in whom it was and afterwards to the sinfull Virgin that cannot be neither For though it were sinfull as a part of their persons yet as it was so it was none of his Christ never assumed the person of the Virgin for one person cānot be another though sin were not but he tooke her nature or substance only which because it was good in it selfe though sinfull as hers the holy Ghost did seperate it by an unusuall course from belonging to her person and so being by it selfe it was sinlesse and then it was instantly assumed by the eternall Word and so made the
abated their courage and broken their force 1 â— horâ—◠〈…〉 by setting them in the first encounter to fight one against another but also because by the advantage of the place the forces of both fall besides me for neither doe I hold that it is not at all from God nor altogether from man Testimonies of Scripture And first to answer those testimonies of Scripture which are brought to prove the immediate creation of the soule that generall answer of that divine Father Saint Augustine may serve for all i. e. that the divine testimonies only teach that God is the giver and former of our soules but they doe not declare how or by what meanes God sendeth them into us So that by his judgement they straine the Scripture too farre who indeavour to prove this immediate manner of the soules creation from them and indeed if wee proceed to a particular examination of them wee shall finde that amongst all Exod. 21.22.23.24 there is not scarce one that doth purposely speake either of the originall of the soule or the generation of man As for example to take them up in order the first is drawne by consequence from a Law which God made concerning the hurting of a woman with childe for which if it were so that her fruit did depart from her before it was informed with a soule as they would have it then he should have some light punishment onely but if it were informed with a soule thereby perish then he that did it should dye the death And why say they should so small a punishmeÌ„t be inflicted for the one but because it was void of a reasonable soule before so great a punishment for the other but because the soule was present and so a man being slaine the slayer must give life for life But first of all Answer this is to corrupt the Text for the words truely translated be these If men strive and hurt a woman with childe so that her fruit depart from her and yet no mischiefe follow or as some reade it death follow not Geneva Bible for so it is in the Originall he shall he surely punished according as the womans husband will lay upon him c. and if any mischiefe or death followeth then thou shalt give life for life c. This being the true Text in the Originall from which wee ought not to swerve it maketh nothing to their purpose Indeed the Septuagint seemeth to reade it thus Et non fuit efformatum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is and it hath not been informed or enlived with a living soule And thus that the fruit may depart without a soul they make the text depart from the true sence Secondly if this should be granted this informing must be understood of quickning else no judgement could be given seeing none can know when the soule is infused if that should be the meaning seeing they say the rationall soule comes after vegetation and sense it must be needs that the childe can move before it hath a rationall soule and so it shall still be uncertaine when a man shall deserve death by such a mischance unlesse we could set downe the just time when God did infuse the soule or feele when it is infused But touching the quickning there is more reason a man should dye for it after then before though the soule be the same from the beginning both because it is not so certaine before what it is or whether it be any thing or no and also before it be come to that perfection any light matter might occasion a mischance for which there were no reason a man should loose his life Lastly 3. this is to be understood of the mother as well as of the childe It her fruit depart from her and yet death follow not neither to her selfe nor to it a light punishment may serve but if either dye he must render life for life But it is manifest then there must be life else there could be no death and life there cannot be in a reasonable creature without a reasonable soule this therefore maketh nothing at all for them 1 but yet something against them The next is taken from the prayer of Moses Let the Lord 2. Num. 27.16 the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation which may goe in and out before them and when God was about to take away Moses he like a faithfull Steward having a care that the people might be well governed after his departure and knowing how weak mans judgement is and how apt to erre in choosing of Officers entreats God by that Epethite that he would choose for them As if he should say thou oh father from whom commeth every good gift thou that givest spirit and wisdome to all men thou that searchest the heart and tryest the reines doe thou set a man over the congregation that may be fit to goe in out before thy people c. And that this is the sense plainly appeareth by Gods answer 1. Vers 18. Take yce Joshua a man in whom is the spirit c. 2. Besides if it were meant simply of the soule for which there is no shew of reason yet will it not follow that because he is the God of them therefore he daily creates them of nothing Next followeth that of the Psalmist 3. Psal 33.15 He fashioneth their hearts or soules alik He considereth all thâ—ir works Pro. 22.1.2 which is in effect this The hearts of all men even of Kings are in the hands of the Lord and he turneth them whethersoever he will he orders both the thoughts and actions of men according to his owne good pleasure as is plaine from the words both before and after and so is nothing to the purpose and if it should be meant of the originall of the soule whereof there was no occasion to speake in this place yet the questioÌ„ still remaines whether God formes them mediatly or immediately by creation or propagation But that which is esteemed of more weight is that of Salomon 4. Eccl. 12.7 where resolving the parts of man at his death into the first principles he saith Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne to God that gave it But though this may prove the immortalitie of the soule 1. yet the immediate creation cannot be proved by it but rather the contrary 2. For it is manifest that he hath relation to mans first creation and that necessarily in the one else it should not be true For every mans body is not now made of the dust 3. but onely Adams from whom we came and therefore if wee will make a true Antithesis it will follow that neither is every mans soule created of nothing but onely Adams from whom all others come So that this is rather Salomons meaning as the body returnes to dust
sinfull but spirit that is pure and holy For whatsoever comes immediately from God he makes it pure good yea Gen. 1.3 all things very good But man from his very beginning is corrupt and sinfull because he is borne of flesh for saith our Saviour of the whole man that being borne of the flesh he is flesh Eph. 2.3 and therefore the whole man hath need of a second birth that he may be borne of the spirit Either therefore we must deny originall sin or else make God the Author of evill if the soule be immediately created by him But seeing it is manifest we are borne of flesh and are by nature children of wrath and it is impious blasphemy once to imagine that God is the Author of sin I feare not to conclude that the soule is not borne of the spirit I meane created by God but of the flesh that is propagated by man The conclusion of the divine Testimonies Thus then for divine testimonies we have produced no lesse than a whole Jury of witnesses first God himselfe then Adam Moses Job David Salomon Jeremy Zachary Peter Paul the Angell Gabrell and our Saviour Christ himselfe and if humane Testimonies would serve the turne it were not hard to shew more than twelve Legions of Saints learned and unlearned that have lived and dyed in this beliefe It being the received doctrine of the westerne Churches in Saint Hieromes time as was before declared but if these will not satisfie much lesse would those and therefore I omit them CHAPTER XV. The propagation proved from the Doctrine of Originall sinne Reasons proving the soules propagation BEsides the Testimonies of Scripture this mediate manner of the soules propagation may farther be demonstrated by reasons drawne from them whereof there are two onely most materiall and indeed necessary to be considered the one concerning the doctrine of originall sin and the other touching the incarnation of our Saviour which two being the maine difficulties in this question the one hindering the soules immediate creation the other the immediate propagatiō therof if these two can be cleared but especially if both doe agree together to confirme this doctrine there will remaine no more place of disputation about it and therefore I purpose to insist so much the longer in them both 1. Originall sinne And for the better clearing the first reason drawne from the Doctrine of Originall sin I will first make way to it by a generall description of these three things First Originall sinne Secondly Creation Thirdly Propagation and then apply it particularly to the proving of the point in hand l. From the nature of the sin descending 2. From the goodnesse of God in creating 3. From the course of nature in propagating Of all which I will speake as briefly and plainly as I can and according to that divine light which is revealed in the Scriptures First therfore it must be shewed out of the Scripture whether there be any originall sin or no and what it is For the first that the streame of mans being first poysoned in Adam the fountaine hath infected every man that comes into the world with sinne is manifest through the whole Scripture Proofes out of the Scripture By one man namely Adam sin entred into the world and death by n = a Rom. 5.12 sin in the day that he did eate of the forbidden fruit wee began to die the n = b Gen. 2 17 death yea n = c Rom. 5.14 even Infants that had not actually sinned yet were tainted with originall sin so that in Adam all dye n = d 1 Cor. 15.22 because in Adam all did sin n = e Rom. 5.12 Hence it was that by and by after all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were onely evill continually n = f Gen 6.5 yea evill even from his youth n = g Gen. 8.21 And now who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane n = h Iob 14.4 And what is man that he should be cleane n = i Iob 15.14 and he that is borne of a woman that he should be righteous sayth Job Hence even David confesseth of himselfe I was borne in iniquitie and in sin did my n = k Psal 51.5 mother conceive me and of others he saith the wicked are estranged from the wombe n = l Ps 58.3 they goe astray as soone as they are borne Esay also calleth man a transgressor from the wombe n = m Isa 48.8 and Jeremy saith the heart of man is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked n = n Ier. 17.9 hence also it is that the Apostle saith Wee are by nature children of Wrath n = o Eph. 2.3 and by the offence of one the fault came upon all n = p Ro. 5.18 men to condemnation And to conclude our Saviour saith plainly that which is borne of the flesh is flesh n = q Ioh. 3.6 Ioh. 3.3.5 and except a man be regenerate and borne againe he cannot enter into nor see the Kingdome of God Reasons to prove it Besides Reason teacheth that like begets like as touching the substance and accidents proper to the kinde 1. according to the Rule Generatum sequitur naturam generantis Beasts bring forth beasts Serpents serpents and sinfull man a sinfull of-spring We cannot gather grapes of thornes Mat. 7.16 nor figges of thistles but an evill tree bringeth forth evill fruit and corrupt Adam sinfull men otherwise how could Infants justly be punished with death seeing death is the wages of sinne And why were Infants circumcized and women purified after child-birth under the law but to shew that all that commeth of mans seed is defiled with sin Againe cōmon experience sheweth the fruit of this bitter roote to bud forth in childrē even from their very cradles and that by inclination before they can learne by imitation The necessitie also of our regeneration proves it for if by our first birth we were not corrupt then should not the second be necessary to salvation Lastly the double grace which we receive from the second Adam Christ Jesus namely Justification Regeneration shews that there floweth a double evill from the first Adam namely the guilt and corruption of nature If we had not this double sinne we should not need this double remedy What originall sin is And now that we see we are thus infected let us inquire a little more narrowly into the nature of it It appeares by that which hath beene said already that all men are become sinfull through Adams sin having lost those now supernaturall gifts wherewith he and we with him were at first indued and in stead therof are all over infected with a venomous qualitie or inclination to all manner of evill causing ignorance and blindnesse in the minde stubbornesse and rebellion in the will disorder in the affections making the senses sensuall and beast-like all the members
perfection as could not be subjected thereunto and so God should faile in his workmanship and be constrained to helpe himselfe and worke perpetually in creating soules notwithstanding his creating all Angels together which could not be propagated and instituting naturall meanes for the rest that so he might rest and yet cannot 7. Like begets like Yea doe not the contrary directly follow and not onely from the common rule in nature like begets like and therefore man man but also because if man be the most excellent of the creatures having all or at least the most excellent faculties in an higher perfection than they he should so much the rather be more able to propagate his like than they yea shall any beast bring forth another which shall be able to persist of it selfe and bring forth more and shall the God of all creatures make mans nature so lame and imperfect that he and he onely cannot goe alone as well as they unlesse God leade him If this be true God shall be the most step-father to man and man the worst creeple of all Gods creatures 8. Everyman two fathers or none Furthermore As men can have no children this way so children can have no fathers or else every one two fathers For if the soule comes from God who is a mans father the whole mans I meane not Adam for he is the father of our bodies onely nor God for our soules only come from him If then neither God nor Adam be our father whose sonnes I beseech you are wee By this doctrine he is a wise childe that knowes his owne father Perhaps it will be said wee are the sonnes of both But then every one must have two fathers an infinite and a finite father Oh strange absurditie and no lesse ridiculous than impossible for how can both be when by the lawes of nature neither can To be short either they must make GOD and Adam both one or else every childe must have two fathers or none at all 9. Children like their parents Neither is it without force that children are ordinarily like their parents and not onely in the features of the body but in the faculties of the minde also Now though all soules be essentially alike and this is not alwayes true neither in soule nor body for divers reasons yet since it is true in both for the most part it appeareth that the parents have more in generation than the body yea so much as the whole man is ordinarily like the parents so much is the whole man propagated from him CHAP. XXVII Reasons from the nature of the soule Everyman must have two souls NEither is this kinde of propagation more agreeable to the ordinary course of generation than to the nature of the soule it selfe nor that of the immediate creation more contrary to the one than the other For first as by that doctrine every one must have two fathers or none so also two soules for if the rationall soule be infused by God after the perfecting of the vegetative and sensitive soules as they are called though in truth both be performed by one soule as wee see in beasts I would know what soule it was that did informe and shape the fruite before giving it vegetation and sense These things cannot possibly be done without of soule which if it were not the rationall was some other unreasonable soule such as is in beasts and so every man must have two soule For wee see by experience the former did not perish at the comming of the latter as it is in the forme of corporeall substances when one perish then another succeeds but here both remaine and therefore either must be mingled and made one with the reasonable scule which cannot be unlesse it be corruptible or else every man must have two soules one reasonable and another unreasonable which opinion is verily as farre from reason as the soule is from being unreasonable Againe 2. The soule is an essentiall part of man The soule the chiefe part of man and the very forme of man without which man is not man and therefore it is against nature and contrary to all reason that man by the course of nature propagating a creature like himselfe should not be able to propagate such an essentiall part as the soule is especially seeing it is graunted he can propagate such an accident as sin is Yea how can this doctrine possibly be true that man should propagate that which is unnaturall not that which is naturall an unnaturall accident and not a naturall essentiall part sin which cannot be without the soule and not the soule without which there can be no sin 3 The soule compared with other spirits This also will farther appeare if we compare the nature of the soule with other spirits For it is observed by the learned and manifest even to the ignorant that GOD hath created three sorts of spirits in the world First Angels which are so spirituall that they cannot be joyned with bodyes Secondly The spirits of beasts c. which are so corporall that they cannot be seperated from bodyes Thirdly Mens soules as a mean which can both live without bodyes as after death like Angels and united with bodies as in this life like beasts Againe we see it is the will and ordinance of God that Angels should neither increase nor decrease corporall spirits as I may call them both increase and decrease and that soules should increase and multiply but never decrease or perish Doe not then the order of nature teach then that as Angels ate immediatly created by God onely and the spirits of beasts altogether mediately propagated so the soules of men which are the meane betwixt both should be produced partly by the immediate power of God and partly mediately by propagation or rather by such a manner of production as is even a meane betweene creation and propagation It were to disturbe the order of nature to confound the nature of the soule and to make a mingle-mangle of the orderly workes of God to deny it 4. The nature of the soule it selfe And this is no lesse apparent if wee consider the nature of the foule alone then compared with others For it is to be considered that the soule is the lowest nature of all incorporeall spirits indued with power to use the bodily organs to those purposes whereunto they were ordained by nature but chiefly by its rationall faculty to get knowledg of all sensible things which senses ar◠〈◊〉 proportioned by God that the reasonable soule by them get all its naturall knowledge Ye◠even but knowledge of God himself◠doth ordinarily arise from sense onely ordered by reason and reason it selfe is a meane betweene the sense of beasts and intelligence of Angels And therefore God hath united the soule with the body it is incompleate without it it naturally desires union with it It cannot ordinarily know any thing but by it and the