2. 4. Luke 2. 25. The Scripture useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for quatentus as Rom. 11. 13. And indeed this is most consonant to the Apostles scope for why should Adam's sinne be brought in rather than other parents Were it not that we were considered in him under a common respect as one with him It is true Erasmus saith he doth not remember that ever he read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a Dative case but Heb. 9. 17. may confute him And among prophane Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 26. 50. be said by most men to signifie in as much For as De Dieu observeth the postpositive is for the demonstrative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Art thou come for this as the other Evangelists Dost thou betray the sonne of man with a kisse Although if we should render it causaâ—ly as the adversaries contend it would no wayes prejudice the truth we plead for seeing that the sinne here charged upon all mankind is because of Adam And therefore if we will make any rational coherence in the Apostles discourse it must be after this manner As by one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men as much as all have sinned that is all sinned in that one man for what sense it is to say That by one man sinne and death entred upon all because all sinned in themselves This would be a contradiction to lay the death of mankind upon Adam's sinne and upon all mens actual sinnes likewise Yea it is wholly repugnant to the Apostles scope who is comparing Adam and Christ not simply as two originals and beginnings but as two causes of death and life Indeed I would not much contend with any that would render the word causally and so make the verse an whole entire proposition in it self without any defective expression at all so that we understand all mens sinning to be interpreted of that which they are guilty of in Adam It is not worth time to take notice of the wild Divinity imposed upon this Discourse of Pauls by the late Writer Vnum Necessar pag. 365 who would have Death come upon mankind occasionally onely by Adam's sinne and that but till Moses his time and after Moses to come upon a new account by the Law promulged through his ministry The mentioning of this is confutation enough for here in this Text the Apostle doth make all mankind to die because of Adam And why may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here be the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text. Another Text witnessing this truth is Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sinne is death Here death is not taken only for eternal death as the Socinians say because the opposite unto it is made eternal life but for both kinds of death eternal and temporal temporal death being the in-let of eternal and so contrary to eternal life Neither is that cavil of their worth any thing who would make the wages of sinne to be the Subject and not the Predicate because the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put to it but that is no sure Rule Sometimes the Article is put to the Predicate for some emphasis sake and not the Subject as I Cor. 9. 1. Are not ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my work in the Lord Are ye not that eminent and conspicuous singular work of mine in the Lord We see then what it is that sinne deserveth even temporal and eternal death it cometh not from mans primitive constitution but Adam's transgression Therefore it is that we deserve many thousand deaths if it were possible for original sinne deserveth death every actual sinne deserveth death yea and hell also Oh how miserable is man who thus deserveth to die and to be damned over and over again Therefore the Apostle useth the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie the manifold evils that are in this death The word properly signifieth that meat which was allowed souldiers for their service in warre We see then how fearfull we all are to be of sinne What wages wilt thou have for every pleasant every profitable sinne even death temporal and eternal The last Text I shall mention is that which Austin so much urgeth in this point Rom. 8. 10. The body is dead because of sinne which is chiefly to be understood of our mortal body now he saith it's dead because of the sentence of death passed it so that there is no way to escape it It is sinne then that maketh the body in a state of death that deserveth the whole harmony and good temperament of the body should be dissolved and therby follow a dissolution of the whole man For though sinne deserve death yet there must be thereby some ataxy or disorder made in the body of a man otherwise death would not follow So that though sinne be the meritorious cause yet several diseases the effect of sinne do actually cause death Not that sinne maketh a substantial change in a man but an accidental only Thus you see the Scripture constantly attributing death yea and our mortality and corruptibility to sinne onely and not to our natural constitution Therefore those are strange positions we meet with Vnum Necessar cap. 6. Sect. 1. pag. 371 372. That death came in not by any new sentence or change of nature for man was created mortal and that if Adam had not sinned he should have been immortal by grace that is by the use of the tree of life That to die is a punishment to some to others not It was a punishment to all that sinned before Moses and since upon the first it fell as a consequent of Gods anger upon Adam upon the later it fell as a consequent of that anger which was threatned in Moses Law but to those who sinned not at all as Infants and Ideots it was meerly a condition of their nature and no more a punishment then to be a child is But seeing he professeth himself to be of the same judgement with his incomparable Grotius let him consider how these positions agree with him who doth against Socinus industriously and solidly prove Defens fid de satisfac cap. 1. pag. 19 20 21. that death hath alwayes some respect of a punishment instancing in the Texts I have mentioned using such words Quidclarius Quis vel verba legens non videat hanc sententiam and Corinthians the words of my Text and an ad anussim respondereisti ad Romanos Yea he concludeth That it were easie to prove that it was the perpetual judgment of the ancient Jews and Christians that death of whatsoever kind it be viz. whether with violence or without violence was the punishment of sinne adding that the Christian Emperors did deservedly condemn beside other things this opinion of Pelagians that they held mortem non ex insidiis fluxisse peccati sed exegisse eam legem
at the beginning endeavoured to clear himself and to charge his sinne upon God The woman thou gavest me And happily some even in the primitive times by mis-understanding some places of Scripture wherein God is said to give men up to their lusts to harden and blind men in their sinnes might occasion such a detestable Position And although the Papists do ordinarily charge this damnable Doctrine upon the Calvinists yet there needeth no more to justifie Calvin in this particular then what he doth most excellently and solidly deliver upon this very Text. The truth is our learned men shew expressions from the Papists yea from Bellarmine himself more harsh and incommodious then I believe can be found in any Protestant Writer But this by the way The Apostle being to inform us of the true cause of all the sinne we do commit and that not God no nor Devils or wicked men are to be blamed comparatively but our own selves sheweth that all this evil cometh from that concupiscential frame of heart we have within us And as for God the Apostle expresly instanceth concerning him prohibiting any one to think or say it is from God that they do sinne Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God and he giveth two reasons whereof one is the cause of the other If you ask How is it that God is said to tempt no man seeing he tempted Abraham and the Israelites Austin's distinction is made use of that there is a temptation probationis and seductionis of probation or tryal or of deceiving and enticing to sin God indeed doth often tempt his people the former way not but that he knoweth what is in the heart of every man but that hereby a godly mans graces may be the more quickned as also a man have more experimental knowledge of himself As for the other temptation of seduction God doth not thus tempt that is he doth not encline or enrice to sinne It is true we read the Prophet Jeremiah saying O Lord I am deceived and thou hast deceived me Jer. 20. 7. But that is spoken unadvisedly and rashly by the Prophet who thought because what he had prophesied was not as yet fulfilled and therefore his adversaries derided and scorned him that therefore it would not at all be fulfilled and so by consequence that God had deceived him Secondly Divines distinguish temptation into external and internal External are afflictions and troubles called often so in Scripture and these temptations are from God 2. Internal which do immediately incline to sinne and with these God doth not tempt Now although the Apostle had in the former part spoken of external temptations yet now he speaks of internal ones though some think he continueth his discourse of externals because these many times draw out hearts to sinne but this ariseth not from God The reason why God cannot tempt to sinne is from the infinite perfection of holiness which is in God he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cannot be tempted by evil It is true men are said to tempt God many times and so ex parte hominu there is done what man could do even to make God deviate from his own holy nature and Law but the Apostle meaneth ex parte Dei that God is of such absolute purity and transcendent holiness that there cannot arise any motion in his nature to make him sinne For so we expound the Greek word in a passive sense Estius himself granting that the use of it in an active signification can hardly be found though Popish Interpreters plead for the active sense but then there would be no distinction of this from the following words Neither tempteth he any man The original word is used only here in the New Testament The strength then of the Argument lieth in this God doth not tempt any man to sin because he hath no inward temptation or motion in his own nature to sin for that is the reason why the Devil is so impetuous and forward in tempting us to sin because his nature is first carried out to all evil so there is no man that doth draw on another to sin but because he in his own heart is drawn aside with it before The Apostle having thus justified God and removed all cause of evil from him In my Text he directeth us to the true internal and proper cause of all the sinne that we do commit and therein doth most excellently shew the several steps and degrees of sinne whereby of an Embryo as it were at first it cometh to be a compleated and perfected sinne This Text is much vexed by Bellarmine and Popish Authors to establish their distinction of a venial and mortal sinne though they cannot find any true aid from the Text. Let us consider the particulars of this noble Text The Cause of a mans sinne is said to be lust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the same with original sinne the corruption of all the powers of the soul whereby it is inordinately carried out to all things Of which more in the Doctrine This is described from the note of propriety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His own lust This expression is used that we may not lay all upon the Devil or other men for this is ordinarily brought by men to excuse themselves It is true I was in such a fault I have sinned but the Devil moved me or such wicked companions they enticed me or I did it because men compelled me and terrified me all this will not serve thy turn It is thy own lust within not men without that hath made thee thus to sinne And this sheweth That every man hath his own proper original sinne by way of a lust within him 3. This is further amplified from the Vniversality of the Subject wherein this lust is seated Every man so that no man but Christ who was God and man is freed from this incentive to evil 4. There is the Manner How this lust doth tempt us to sinne and that is expressed in two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drawn away that is as some from God from heavenly objects because in all sinne there is an aversion from God and a conversion to the creature or else as others Drawn aside form the consideration of hell of the wrath of God of eternal death and damnation For we sinne continually as Eve did at first The Devil perswaded her she should not die and then when this fear was removed she presently falleth into the transgression and thus before men fall into the pit of any sinne they are drawn aside from those serious thoughts This will offend God this will damn me The other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor either from birds or fishes which have baits to allure them and thereby are destroyed Thus lust appeareth with a bait but the hook doth not appear In the next place This original sinne is illustrated in the issue of it the Apostle sheweth how sinne Ã
say Christus resurrexit Christ is risen For this end Christ is called The first fruit of them that slept vers 20. As the first fruits did sanctifie the whole harvest of corn that was afterwards to be gathered So did Christ rising all his members by his Resurrection assuring them of theirs Hence it is that the Apostles Arguments are not to prove the Resurrection of wicked men for they arise upon another account but onely of the godly who are his members and have an interest in his mediation It is indeed a Dispute Whether even wicked men do not rise by the virtue of Christs merit and his Resurrection Baldwine for determining the negative in locum is traduced by another Lutheran for Popery and Calvinism as introducing that Doctrine of the particularity of Christs death But certainly The wicked mans resurrection is not to be accounted in the number of any mercies and therefore not merited by Christ Hence it followeth necessarily that they rise not by any relation to Christ but by the power and justice of God because of that immutable and unchangeable Decree that every sinner unrepenting shall die both temporally and eternally which later could not be accomplished unlesse the bodies of wicked men were raised up to life again out of the dust Now our Apostle to prove Christ the cause of our Resurrection draweth an Argument from a comparison between Adam and him making them two originals and fountains but of contrary effects the one of death the other of life For as in Adam all die so in Christ all shall be made alive Not that all men universally shall be saved by Christ but the universal particle must be limited according to the subject matter in hand All that are in Christ all that are his members shall be made alive by him And therefore in the next verse it is so limited Christ the first-fruits and afterwards they that are Christs at his coming So that the sense is That as all Adams posterity die because of him so all that are Christs seed shall live by him For the expression in Adam and in Christ do denote a causality in them the one of death the other of life Therefore we must not think that the Apostle doth here only make a bare similitude and comparison shewing that as by Adam we die so by Christ we shall be made alive but it 's an Argument from the power and causality that is in one to the other The Apostle doth in the fifth of the Romans make the like comparison only there is this difference as Calvin observeth In that place the Apostle maketh the comparison chiefly in respect of spiritual effects death as it brings condemnation and life as it is accompanied with justification here and glorification hereafter This Text is greatly agitated in the controversie between Puccius and Socinus Vide Disput de statu primi hominis ante lapsum The former holding truly though he superaddeth many gross errors that Adam was not made mortal and that death came in only by sinne only he goeth absurdly beyond his bounds when he holdeth the beasts were also made immortal The later on the contrary he holdeth That Adam was made mortal that death in natural that though by sinne we are under a perpetual necessity of death which is an ambiguous phrase he useth yet death it self is natural He granteth That immature and violent death cometh by sinne but death as it is a meer dissolution of a person so it is from his primitive creation and constitution Therefore be would have this difference between the Text I am upon and Paul's Discourse in the fifth of the Romans viz. That there indeed he speaketh of the sinne of Adam by which we come to die But here he would have the Apostle consider Adam as he is by Creation and that being mortal from the beginning we also are mortal from him But who can perswade himself that these passages concerning the change of the body hereafter to what it is now It is sown in corruption it 's raised in corruption it is sowen in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowen in weaknesse it is raised in power are to be understood of our bodies as at the first Creation and not as they are now by Adam's fall Our bodies are made corruptible and vile bodies by reason of sinne We must then understand the Apostle as speaking of Adam sinning though sinne be not here named So that the fifth of the Romans will excellently illustrate this place and that maketh the sense to be That Adam sinning by his sinne death entered upon all mankind so that death is not natural neither doth it arise from our first constitution but it cometh in wholly by sinne SECT II. Death an Effect of Original Sinne explained in divers Propositions HAving then heretofore spoken of some spiritual effects of original sinne and more might be named such as a necessity to sinne an impotency to all good senslesness and stupidity therein the aldom to Satan but I shall pass them by as being very proper to the Common-place of Divinity which is of the grace of God and mans free-will and shall proceed to the effects of original sinne that are of another nature and that is temporal and eternal death The former effects did so slow from original sinne as that also they are sinfull properties in a man but these are meerly punishments It is not our sinne that we are sick that we die but it is the effect From the words then we observe this truth and doctrine That death cometh upon all mankind because of our sinne we have originally from Adam It is true the Socinian will say We put more in the Doctrine then is in the Text but you heard the comparison used by the Apostle in the fifth of the Romans compared with this doth necessarily suppose death to be because of Adam's sinne not only as imputed unto us but because thereby we are made inherently sinfull This truth is of a very vast compasse but I shall consine my self within as narrow bounds as may be I shall follow my usual method to explicate this in several Propositions ¶ 1. FIrst This controversie about mans mortality is very famous in the Church and hath been of old solliciously disputed The Pelagians as they denied original sinne so consonantly to that falshood they affirmed That death was not the punishment of sinne but did arise by the necessity of our natural constitution Which Assertion was condemned by some Councils and the Laws of Emperours as injurious to God the Creator of men For this experience that Infants new born are subject to many miseries and death it self was a thorn in their sides which they could not endure in nor yet possibly pull out Sometimes with the Stocks they would deny death to be an evil Sometimes they would say Children in the womb are guilty of actual sinnes for which they deserved death but that which they did most constantly adhere
of spiritual life should also be divested of his natural life Hence it is that the Apostle informeth us of that which all the natural wise men of the world were ignorant of Rom 5. 12. That by one mans sinne death entred into the world where the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is observed to have its peculiar Emphasis pertransiit sicut lues even as the rot doth destroy an whole flock of sheep and therefore at the 14th Verse the Apostle useth another emphatical expression Death reigned and that upon those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Seeing then by Adams transgression death cometh thus to reign over all mankind and there would be no justice to have 〈◊〉 inflicted where there is no sinne it followeth necessarily that every child becometh inherently sinful because internally mortal and corruptible Thirdly The third and last cause is the anger of God justly inflicting this punishment of death upon us death may be considered in respect of the meritorious cause and so it is not of God but of sinne Secondly in respect of the decreâ—ing and punishing cause and this death is from God as an evil justly inflicted upon man for his sinnes God inflicts the sentence of death upon us but sinne deserveth it not that death can properly be caused by God for that is a privation but by removing life God in taking away life is thereby said to cause death Even as when the Sunne is removed from our Hemispere then darkness doth necessarily follow These then are the causes of death but oh how little are they attended untoâ— men attributing death to many other causes besides this ¶ 6. Prop. 6. VVHen we say that death cometh by original sinne in that we comprehend all deseases pains and miseries which are as so many inchoate deaths yea all labour and weariness for so God threatned Adam Gen. 2 17. Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken In this sentence there is matter enough to humble us there is not a thistle in thy corn not a weed in thy garden but it may put thee in mind of original sinne yea there is not the least pain or ach of thy body but this may witness it to thee so that Austin saith truly we do circumferre testimonium c. We carry about with us daily full evidence to confirme this Doctrine of original sinne for such evils and calamities as do necessarily follow our specifical nature accompanying us as men they cannot be attributed unto any other cause but original sin which consideration viz. of mankind being universally plunged into miseries and not knowing the cause thereof made the Platonists and some Heretiques conclude that the soules of men had sinned formerly and by way of punishment were therefore adjudged to these mortal and wretched bodyes Though death be only mentioned because that is most terrible and all other miseries tend thereunto yet they are necessarily included Some ask the Question Why God did not threaten hell rather then death but no doubt eternal death is understood in this commination for temporal and eternal death are the wages of sinne only death is mentioned as being most terrible to sense men being more affected with that then with hell which is believed by faith The Scripture then mentioning death only how absurd and preposterous are the Socinians who in that threatning will comprehend any thing but death death they say cometh from the necessity of that matter we are constituted of but sickness labour and such miseries as also eternal death these are the proper fruit of sinne Thus men delivered up to errour are hurried from one dangeous precipice to another But let Christians in all deseases miseries and death it self look higher then the Philosopher or the Physitian Let them acquaint themselves with original sinne and thereupon humble themselves under Gods hand ¶ 7. The several Grounds assigned by Schoolmen of Adam's immortality rejected and some Causes held forth by the Orthodox Propos 7. ALthough it be agreed upon by all except Socinians and their adherents that Adam was made immortal at least by grace and the favour of his Creator yet there is difference among the Popish Writers upon what to fasten the ground of his immortality What was the cause of it therein they disagree Some place it in a certain vigor and excellency that was then in the soul whereby it was able to preserve the body from death Molina liketh not this De opere sex dierum Disput 28. and therefore he doth affirm that the body of Adam was made immortal and impassible by an habitual gift bestowed upon it which he saith was a corporeal quality extended through the whole body Because saith he this immortality was not a transient thing but an enduring gift sutable to that state and God is used to give permanent gifts not immediately but by some inherent principle Even as the glorified bodies are made immortal by some intrinsecal quality accommodated to that state yea and the bodies of the damned also though they are immortal yet they are not impassible because they are tormented in the flames of hell fire But Suarez Lib. 3. de hominis Creatione cap. 14. doth upon good grounds reject any such supposed corporeal quality as being without any foundation from the Scripture and introducing a miraculous way without necessity For who can think that Adam had such an intrinsecal quality in his body that fire would not burn him that if he went upon the waters his body would not sink Others they attribute his immortality to the tree of life that was say they both alimentum medicamentum as it was both nourishment so it preserved life and as it was medicinal so it did repair that partial abating of natural strength in concoction which would otherwise in time have come upon man But this opinion taketh that for granted which yet is greatly controverted viz. that it was called the tree of life as if there had been some active physical power in the fruit thereof to continue a mans life either for a long time as some think or for ever as others whether indeed once eating of it or constant eating was necessary as opportunity did require is also debated by curious Authors for some make it to be called a tree of life onely Symbolically as being a signe of eternall life which Adam should have enjoyed had he continued in obedience And truly though it should be granted that there was such a virtue in the tree yet when Adam had sinned it would no wayes have helped him or preserved him from death because the wages of sinne is death and therefore would not have produced that in him which it is supposed that it might have had in Adam's obedience yet God would cast him out
which would have redounded to the dishonour of God his maker neither could it so well be said By one man or by the Devil death came into the world as by God who is supposed to make man in such a mortal and frail estate But I proceed to a second Argument and that may be drawn from the commination made by God to Adam upon his disobedience compared with the execution of this sentence afterward which might be enough to convince any though never so refractory The threatning to Adam we have recorded Gen. 2. 17. where God prohibiting him to eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil confirmeth this Law with a penalty viz. That in the day he did eat thereof he should surely die dying thou shalt die The gemination is to shew the certainty as also the continuance or it So that Socinus and others who would not understand corporal death in this place as being from the natural constitution of a man and so would have been had there not been this commination doth joyn too much with the Devil in this business for his endeavour was to perswade the woman that this threatning was false and that she should not die death should not be the punishment of her transgression But what need we any clearer place then this divine commination Doth not this necessarily suppose that if Adam had not transgressed he should not have died and so by consequence have been immortal it being not possible for death to come in at any other door but that of sinne To threaten a mortal man with mortality had been absurd or to make his natral condition a punishment for then it would have been a punishment to be made a man if made mortal The Socinians therefore to elude this would not understand by death the separation of the soul and body but eternal death or as they say at other times a necessity of dying but a necessary death and eternal death are absurdly made parallel by them For beasts are under a necessity of death yet cannot be said to partake of eternal death especially the godly they cannot but die yet they are absolutely delivered from eternal death We must therefore take death for corporal death not but that the death of the soul by sinne here and eternal separation from God hereafter is to be included herein yet this temporal death is also a great part of the penalty here threatned which may be evinced by these three reasons 1. Moses is relating in an historical manner what was done to man in the beginning Now in an historical Narration we are not to go from the literal meaning unless evident necessity compel much lesse may we do so here when we have the Apostle acted by the same Spirit of God as Moses was in being Penman of the Scripture attributing our corporal death to Adam For no doubt when Paul wrote this Text In Adam we all die he had this historical relation made by Moses in his mind 2. The sentence and execution of it must be understood in the same manner Now it 's plain that in the execution of it mentioned Chap. 3. 19. corporal death is meant because Adam is thus told That dust he was and unto dust he should return 3. It must be meant of temporal death because this alone and not eternal death doth belong to all mankind For although at the day of judgement it is said some shall not die yet that suddain change made then upon them will be equivalent to death Thus you see the threatning made to Adam at first doth abundantly confirm this truth There is one doubt only to be answered If death be meant in that sentence how then is it that Adam did not immediately die How is it that he lived many hundred years afterwards To this some say That the restriction of time viz. the day is not to be made to the time of eating as if at that day he should die but to death as if the sense were thou shalt die one day or other thou shalt be in daily fear of death But if this be disliked then we may understand it of a state of death that day he did eat thereof he became mortal for every day is a diminution of our life As a man that hath received a deadly wound we say he is a dead man because though he did linger it out yet all is in a tendency unto death Now this will appear the more cogent if you take notice of the execution of this sentence mentioned Gen. 3. 17 18 19. where the ground is cursed and man also adjudged to labour and wearness all the dayes of his life even till he return to the ground out of which he was made But here the Socinian thinketh he hath an evasion Death saith he is not here made a curse but only it 's the term how long mans curse shall be upon him It is not poena but terminus saith he for it is said he should be under this labour till he did return to the ground but if we consider the sentence before-mentioned it is plain it is a curse So that in this place it is both a curse and a terme putting an end to all the temporal miseries of this life though to the wicked it is the beginning of eternal torments ¶ 3. THe third Argument for our mortality and also actual death by original sinne is taken from those assertory places which do in expresse words say so Not to mention my sext which hath said enough to this truth already We may take notice of other places affirming this And certainly that passage of Pauls Rom. 5 12. may presently come into every mans mind By one man sin entred into the world and death by sinne and so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned It is true we told you Calvin maketh the Apostle to speak of spiritual death here as in my Text of temporal death which the coherence also doth confirm but though that be principally intended yet not totally Even temporal death is likewise to be understood as being the beginning and introduction to eternal death if the grace of God doth not prevent We have then the Apostle attributing death not to mans creation at first but to his disobedience Neither is this death upon men because of their actual sinnes but because of Adam's disobedience by whom we are made sinners yea in whom we have sinned That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is diversly translated and much contention about it viz. whether it should be rendred in whom or causally for as much It is true the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as learned men observe is used in the New Testament variously sometimes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5. 5. sometimes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 10. 9. sometimes for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 3. 16. and otherwise but for ought I can observe it may very well be understood for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Mark
demonstrate how it stands between Adam and as The first is Psal 106. 32 33. They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes Because they provoked his Spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips Here was saith he plainly a traouction of evil from the Nation to Moses their relative for their sakes he was punished but yet forasmuch as Moses himself had sinned But surely we may here say Behold a new thing under the Sunne This was scarce ever heard of before in the Church of God so that it 〈◊〉 too much honour to it to confute it yet something must be said lest words prevail and similitudes when reasons cannot Not to meddle with any large explication of that passage in the Psalm If we consult with Bellarmize and Genebrard this place will no wayes serve his turn For Bellarmine inlocum would have the 33. verse not to contain any sinne of Moses as it he spake unadvisedly with his lips but referreth that to Gods Decree or Purpose pronounced by his mouth which was to destroy the Nations as it followeth in the next verse which they did not do affirming the Hebrew word cannot be applied to an unadvised speaking or as it is rendred by some ambiguous and doubtfull Neither is it in the Text that God punished Moses for their sakes but as our Translators It went ill with Moses for their sakes And this translation Genebrard taketh notice of as following the Hebrew adding that some expound it not of any punishment God inflicted upon Moses but of that vexation trouble and grief which he had because of their murmurings and rebellings against him And it this be so then here is not so much room for his opinion as to set the sole of its feet But let it be granted That Moses was occasionally punished by the Israelites rebellion for his own sinne For who can deny but that God doth sometimes take an occasion from some mens sinnes to punish others for their own sinnes as the Hebrews have a saying especially when related to one another That in every punishment they undergo there is an ounce of that Calf which Aaron made as if God did from that take an occasion to punish the Israelites for their other transgressions yet this is no parallel to our case in hand for here the Israelites were an occasion to make Moses sinne for which God was so angry with him that he was not suffered to enter into the Land of Canan But we are now speaking of men who are punished by death that yet never were occasioned to sinne by Adam in the Adversaries sense For the people of Israel were present with Moses and by their froward carriages did provoke him to that sinfull passion but Adam hath been dead some thousands of years since Who can say It is Adam that stirreth me up it is Adam that will not let me alone but compelleth me to sinne Yea how can Heathens and Pagans be said to sinne occasionally by Adam when they happily never heard that there was such a man in the world Besides Infants they are subject to death What actual sinne doth Adam produce the occasion of to them If then Adam were now alive and Infants could be tempted to actual sinnes as Meses was by the Israelites then there had been more probability of his instance But it may be his second example will be more commensurated to our purpose and that is from 1 King 14 16. where it 's said God would give Israel up because of the sinnes of Jeroboam who did sinne and made Israel to sinne Thus saith he alluding to the words of the Apostle By one man Jeroboam sinne went out into all Israel and the curse captivity or death by sinne and so death went upon all men of Israel inasmuch as all men of Israel have sinned But this is wholly to give up the cause to Pelagians whose glosse yet of imitation he utterly rejecteth though much more that which affirmeth we are made properly and formally sinners by him Answer to a Letter pag. 54. For how did Jereboam make all Israel sinne was not by his example and in the fame sinne of Idolatry as he did Now do we follow Adam in eating of the for bidden fruit and so offend God in the same sinne as he did So that this was wholly by imitation and therefore one generation did transmit this sinne to anotherly example till at last there was no more mention of it But did Adam thus offend and then Cain and others follow him in the like sinne He cannot then wash his hands from the Pelagian Doctrine of original sinne from Adam only by imitation if he adhere to this inftance Again Jeroboam is said to make Israel sinne for some time only while his memory and example had some influence and it was the sinne of the Israelites only for many separated themselves from him and went into the kingdom of Judah that so they might not be polluted with that worship as appeareth 1 Chron. 11. 14. 16. whereas Adam's sinne bringeth death upon all mankind and this will endure to the end of the world for the Apostle saith in the Text In Adam all die Besides This Author gresly contradicts himself for at one time he saith God was sâ— angry for Adam's sinne that he indeed punished men with death yet but till Moses his time and then death came upon a new accout At other times he makes it a punishment of all men because of Adam's sinne And indeed the Text we are upon doth evidently enforce this Furthermore Death is said to reign over all markind to passe on all and are not Infants part of the world It is true he saith Children and Ideots that cannot commit actual sinnes death is no punishment to them they die in their nature but if there had been no sinne how could there have been ideots and children that die in their Infancy Certainly that must be an immature death Now although it be said That death is a conlequent of nature yet immature death must needs be a punishment of sinne for so this Auther answereth that Text Death is the wages of sinne The Apostle saith he primarily and â—terally means the solemnâ—â—es and causes and infelicines and 〈◊〉 of temporal death and not meerly the dissolution which is direct no evil but an in let to a better state Answ to a Letter pag. 87 〈…〉 this discourse of the occasionality of death by Adam 's sinne is 〈…〉 meer non-us and fancy of his own will appear by the opposite to Adam 〈◊〉 comparision with Christ What was Christ onely the occasion of our righteousness and life Did God from Christs obedience take the occasion only 〈…〉 us for our own obedience who seeth not the absurdity of this Though therefore he doth superâ—â—â—usly overlook Calvin Knox and the Scoich Presbyterics in this point yet I suppose he will bearken with more reverence to what the late Annotatour saith
soul the rational the irascible and the concupiscible which he calleth indignativum concupiscentivum In the irascible he speaketh of a good indignation and an evil one applying this Text to the later Cerda his Commentator illustrating this saith Tertullian's meaning is That we are by nature children to our passions we are not at our own disposing we are under their power adding That Paul mentioneth wrath rather than any other affection because of that anger and fury by which he once persecuted the Church of God Thus he mentioning also another Exposition That by anger is to be understood the Devil who may so be called because of the cruelty he exerciseth upon men but this is so improbable that it needeth no refutation The wrath then is Gods wrath which like himself is infinite and the effects thereof intollerable So that it is as much as to be Children of hell children of everlasting damnation even whatsoever the wrath of God may bring upon a man in this world and the world to come SECT II. What is meant by Nature THe second Question is What is meant by Nature As for those who would have it to signifie no more then prorstus and vere altogether or indeed we have heretofore confuted yet granting that this is part of the lease but not the principal For we are to take nature here for our birth-descent as appeareth partly because the Apostle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth more properly relate to our nativity whereas before he calleth the children of disobedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 partly because the Apostles order is observable for in the original it is We were children by nature of anger that is natural children opposed to adopted ones and partly because the Iews pretended holiness by their nativity because they were the seed of Abraham which pride the Apostle would here abate making them equal herein to the Heathen Idolaters Neither by nature are we to understand custome only as if the Apostle meant by it the constant custome of our actual iniquities which useth to be called a second nature we are made children of wrath for the Apostle doth no where use the word so no not in that place 1 Cor. 11. 14. Doth not nature 〈◊〉 you c. For nature is taken both for the first principles and also the immediate conclusions deduced from them which later the Apostle doth call nature Therefore it is matter of wonder that the late Annotator in his paraphrase on Ephes 2. should take in the orthodox sense viz. And were born and lived and continued in a damning condition as all other Heathens did observe that born in a damning condition should yet referre to his notes on 1 Cor. 11. where he seemeth to contradict any such birth-damnation from this of the 2d to the Ephesians For he would understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the national custome of Idolatry amongst the Heathens and if so then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to relate to our nativity or birth as some translate it which he also noteth in the margin But though custome may be called nature yet there is commonly some limiting expression as when he quoteth out of Galen that customs are acquired natures or out of Aristotle custome is like nature Here are restrictive expressions whereas Paul speaketh absolutely And as for that instance which the learned Annotator hath out of Suidas which the late Writer maketh use of for the corrupting of this Text Vnum Necessar cap. 6. Sect. 2. it doth very fairly make against them For Suidas upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inlarging himself and particularly making it to signifie the principle of motion and rest of a thing essentially and not by accident alluding happily to Aristotles definition doth after this adde But when the Apostle saith we we were by nature the children of wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not speak of nature in this sense because this would be the fault of him that created us All which is very true and doth directly oppose Manicheism We do not say there is any evil nature or that the primordials of our nature were thus corrupted They that hold pure naturals cannot answer this reason of Suidas it doth militate against them But we affirm this corruption of our nature came in by Adam's voluntary transgression So that in this sense we call it naturale malum as Austin and quodammod◠naturale as Tertullian So Suidas his meaning seemeth to be That the wrath of God is not naturally due to us as the creatures have their natural principles of motion and rest within them but that Suidas doth not by nature wholly mean an evil custome appeareth in that he saith two things are implied in this expression The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an in dwelling abiding evil affection by which we may very genuinely understand that innate corruption in us that sinne which dwelleth in us And The second is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A continual and wicked custome These are not to be confounded as the same thing but one is the cause of the other Original sinne is that evil in-dwelling affection from whence proceedeth evil customs in sin But it is not worth the while to examine what the opinion of Suidas was in this particular Varinus doth better discourse upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making it to be the individual property of a thing as the fire to burn and saith it differeth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is the essence of a thing and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power or efficacy of a thing and thus from him we may say original sinne is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though still we must remember that it is not a primordial but a contracted property It 's made so upon Adam's transgression SECT III. That by nature through the original sinne we are born in all are heirs of Gods wrath all are obnoxious to eternal damnation NOw my purpose is to insist chiefly upon the Predicate in ths Propositon We are children of Wrath and that by nature even of Gods wrath So that thus Text doth contain the heavy doom of all mankind For it 's observed to be the form of speech which the Jewish Judges used when they passed sentence upon any capital offenders to pronounce That such were the sons of death From hence we may observe That by nature through the original sinne we are born in all are heirs of Gods wrath all are obnoxious to eternal damnation This is the most bitter herb in all this discourse of original sinne Here all the adversaries to it seem to be most impatient when you utter such words as these by nature deserving damnation as soon as ever we are born before any actual sinne committed it is just with God to throw us into hell that every Infant is obnoxious to
thee What shall God give all these names to it to make thee afraid and to groan under it yet shall thy heart continue still like the rock and adamant CHAP. VIII Of the Privative Part of Original Sinne. SECT I. Of Adam's begetting Seth in his own likeness GEN. 5. 3. And Adam begat a sonne in his own likeness and after his Image and called his name Seth. MOses in this Chapter giveth a brief and summary capitulation of the Lives and Deaths of the Patriarchs unto Noah mentioning these heads 1. That God made man 2. That he made him in time 3. After his own Image 4. Male and Female 5. He blessed them 6. The imposition of the name Adam to Eve as well as to Adam And this he calleth The Book of the generations of Adam viz. His succession with all his acts of his Life and also his Death otherwise Adam had no generation but was created by God The Hebrew word though sometimes it signifieth a Book or Epistle yet in the general it is no more than a Catalogue or Rehearsal as it is here and so is to be interpreted in some other places the neglect whereof hath in part made an occasion of dispute Whether any Canonical Books be lost or no as Numb 21. 14. whereas the word there is not to be taken for an Historical Volume but the Enumeration or Rehearsal of the ways of the Lord In the next place he proceedeth to Seth not but that Adam had other sons only he mentioneth him as the future head of humane posterity upon the drowning of the world Now concerning him we have his name he was called Seth. There were Heretiques called Sethiani who attributed unto him more than a man but the holy Ghost doth antidote against that opinion by informing of us that he was begotten in a sinfull mortal estate 2. Of whom he was begotten and that is of Adam 3. How or in what manner and that is After Adams Image in his own likeness Adam was created after the Image and likeness of God that is in a most perfect and compleat resemblance for Image and likeness do not differ though the Schoolmen attempt to difference them but it is an Hebraism putting two Substantives together for aggravation sake and it is as much here as an Image exceeding like Thus Adam was made in respect of his soul qualified with holiness like God but in the Text Seth is said to be begotten of Adam in Adam's Image not in Gods that is in a corrupt miserable and mortal estate For whereas Adam was by Nature a man by Condition the Lord and Chief in whom humane Posterity was to be reckoned of As also in respect of corruption now polluted having lost Gods Image Seth was after Adam 's own likenesse in all these three particulars That he was a man like him none can doubt That he was like Adam in respect of his Headship to his Posterity is plain because Abel was dead and Cain with his Posterity was to be destroyed in the floud Not that this is the whole Image or likenesse here spoken of That as Adam was the first Head of mankind so Seth was to be of those who should be preserved in the flood as some would have it For such a resemblance would have been more eminently in Noah who in the Ark seemed to be the common Parent of mankind Therefore in the third place This Image or likenesse to Adam is mentioned eppositely to that Image of God which Adam was created in And if you object Why is it not as Well said of Abel or Cain that Adam begat them after his own Image as well as Seth The Answer is plain Moses in this Historical Capitulation doth not mention all in a Family but such who were onely by a direct Line to descend to their Posterity and to be an Head to that Now not Abel or Cain but Seth was appointed by God in this place And that we might know in what manner all Generations are to descend from him the Scripture doth here inform us That we must not think that Seth had from Adam the Image of God or would propagate it to others but now he and we are as Adam after his fall sinfull and mortal For although the Church hath generally thought of Adam that he did repent and was saved for we doe not reade afterwards of any grosse sinne he committed and God made the glorious Promise of a Saviour to him yet he did not beget Seth as he was regenerated but as a man and so being fallen from that Covenant he was first placed in his personal grace afterwards could not be conveyed to his Posterity as his sinne while a common Parent was We see then though Adam was godly and Seth was likewise holy yet for all that he was born without the Image of God and in a polluted estate Besides therefore in this place is a seasonable mentioning of the likenesse and Image Adam begat Seth in because Moses being here to capitulate their several Generations which doth imply their mortality doth opportunely give the cause of it So that Snecanin Method Distri Cause Sol. dam. cap. 3. his opinion which he offereth to the learned to judge Whether by Adam's Image be not meant his repaired Image with the corrupted one being now assumed unto Gods favour seemeth directly to oppose the Text which calleth it Adam's own Image not Gods SECT II. What Original Sinne is SEeing therefore we have handled the Quid nominis of Original sinne what the chief Names are which the Scripture giveth unto it We come to consider the Quid Rei the Nature and Definition of it And whereas some make it it consist onely in the meer privation of Gods Image Others in a positive inclination unto all evil We shall take in both for although as Calvin well saith He that affirmeth Original sinne to be the privation of Gods Image speaks the whole Nature of it Yet because that doth not so fully and particularly represent the loathsomnesse of it therefore it 's necessary with the Scripture to consider both the Privative and Positive part of original sinne I shall beginne with the Privative part That original sinne is the privation of that original Righteousnesse and glorious Image of God which was at first put into us And this the holy Ghost meaneth when he saith Adam begat Seth after his own likenesse and Image From whence observe That we are by nature without the Image of God we were created in and this is a great part of our original sinne This truth of the losse of Gods Image in us is of very great concernment and therefore to be improved both Doctrinally and Practically It is the greatest losse that ever besell mankind and oh our carnal and dull hearts which can bewail the losse of health of wealth of any outward comfort but this which is the greatest losse of all viz. the Image of God which we should bewail all our life time
furnace and house of bondage did cry and groan for a Redeemer but this is the unspeakable evil of this soul-bondage that we delight in it that we rejoyce in it all our indeavour and care is that we may not be set at liberty and have these chains taken off us From this explication observe That no man hath any liberty or freedom of will to what is good till Christ by his grace hath made him free We do not by freedom of will obtain grace but by grace we obtain freedom of will So that by the Scripture we have not any true ground for a liberum arbitrium but a liberatum in spiritual things There is no such thing as a free-will but a freed will in a passive sense and tunc est liberum when it is liberatum as Austin Then it 's actively free when it is first passively made free Rom. 6. 16. Being made free from sinne He doth not say you have made your selves free but ye are made frre by the grace of Christ And again vers 22. Ye are now made free from sinne and Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sinne and death By which expressions is implied 1. That all men till sanctified are in an absolute vassalage and thraldom to sinne And 2. That it is onely the grace of Christ that doth deliver from this bondage It is Christ not our own will that maketh us free ¶ 3 Of the several Kinds of Freedome which the Scripture speaketh of TO enter into the depths of this Doctrine Consider What kinds of freedome the Scripture speaketh of and which is applicable to our purpose The Schooles have vast disputes about liberty and free-will What it is whether a compounded faculty or a simple one and whether a faculty or habit or act especially they digladiate about the definition of free-will what it is but if any thing shall be thought necessary to be said in this point it may be pertinently brought in when we shall answer such Objections as the Patrons of nature do use to bring in the behalf of Free-will only it is good to know that in the Scripture we find a civil liberty and a spiritual liberty spoken of a civil liberty Thus bond and free are often opposed Ephes 6. 8. Col. 3. 11. 1 Cor. 7. 22. But this is not to the Text nor to our purpose Therefore the Scripture speaketh much of a spiritual freedome and that is First In the translating of us out from the dominion of sinne and Satan into a gracious state of holiness and this is called by Divines Libertas gratia or as Austin libertas à peccato The freedome of grace of which those Texts speak that we mentioned before Secondly There is the Evangelical and Christian liberty whereby we are freed from many things of the law not only the curse of the moral law and the spirit of bondage which did accompany the legal administration thereof but also from the obligation unto and exercise of the ceremanial This Evangelical liberty is often commended in the Scripture as the glorious priviledge of the Christian Church which the legal Church wanted of this legal servitude and Evangelical freedome the Apostle Gal. 4 doth largely and most divinely treat This Christian liberty also from Jewish rites The Apostle Gal. 5. 1. â—â—horteth us to stand fast in as being purchased for us by the death of Christ as a glorious priveledge only the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2. 16 giveth good advice That we turn not our liberty into licentiousness It is true the Apostle doth once use the word free abusively and improperly Rom. 6. 20 where the servants of sinne are said to be free from righteousness or to righteousness now this is improperly called a freedome for as the service of God is the truest freedome so freedome from holiness is the greatest slavery Although Austin doth from this Text make a division of liberty into two kinds which he maketh perpetual use of Libertas à peccate and Libertas a justitiâ The godly man hath the former liberty the sinner hath the latter but this latter is improperly called liberty Lastly There is a spiritual freedome mentioned by the Scripture as the utlimte and complete perfection of all when the soul shall be freed not only from the dominion of sinne but the presence of it all the reliques and remainders of it and the body shall be freed from death pain and all corroptibility Rom. 8. 2. This is called the glorious liberty of the sons of God and for this every godly man is to groan and mourn even as the woman in travel to be delivered This is called by Divines libertas gloriae and libertas à miserià But we are to speak of the liberty of grace and herein we are not to admire the Free-will of man but the free grace of God man hath no free-will to do that which is spiritual and holy Free-will is an Idol which the corrupt heart of man is apt to advance he is unwilling to be brought out of himself to be beholding to the grace of Christ only therefore Austin observed well That this truth is to be found out by prayer and supplication sooner then by disputation Did men commune with their own hearts did they observe the Abyss and depth of all evil that is in their corrupt will how intangled and in slaved to the creature they would quickly fall from disputation to humiliation and turne arguments into prayers ¶ 4. The Names which the Scripture expresseth that by which we call Free-Will THe next thing in our method that will be explicating of the Doctrine is to take notice of What names the Scripture useth to express this thing by that we call Free-will for free-will is not a Scripture name but Ecclesialsical yet the sence of it is in the Scripture for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used in the Scripture to will and that in such things wherein freedome is necessarily supposed Luk. 22. 9. Where wilt thou that we prepare a place Joh. 9. 27. Wherefore would ye hear it again will ye also be his Disciple Act 7. 28 wilt thou kill me also c. and in many other places hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for the free-will of a man 1 Cor. 7. 37 and indeed it is disputed whether to do a thing voluntariè and liberè voluntarily and freely be not all one and so libertas and voluntas only voluntas denoteth the power and liberty the qualification of it in its working Jansenius is most consident that in Austin's constant dispute with the Pelagians liberum arbitrium is no more then voluntas and that to do a thing freely is no more then to do it voluntarily this he maintaineth against the Jesuites and withall wonders at a late Writer of their own whom he nameth not which writeth that the word servum arbitrium was not heard in the Church of God
posse mori is known by all It is not then an absolute but a conditional immortality we speak of ¶ 3. Propos 3. ALthough we say that God made man immortal yet we grant that his body being made of the dust of the earth and compounded of contrary element it had therefore a remote power of death It was mortal in a remote sense only God making him in such an eminent manner and for so glorious an end there was no proxim and immediate disposition to death God indeed gave Adam his name whereas Adam imposed a name upon all other creatures but not himself and that from the originals he was made of to teach him humility even in that excellent estate yet he was not in an immediate disposition to death When Adam had transgressed Gods Law though he did not actually die upon it yet then he was put into a mortal state having the prepared causes of death within him but it was not so while he stood in the state of integrity then it was an immortal state now it is a mortal one I say state because even now though Adam hath brought sinne and death upon us yet in respect of the soul a man may be said to be immortal but then there was immortality in respect of soul and body the state he was created in did require it So that although death be the King of terrors yet indeed original sinne which is the cause of it should be more terrible unto us Now man by sinne is fallen the beasts could they speak would say Man is become like one of us yea worse for he carrieth about with him a sinfull soul and a mortal body ¶ 4. Distinctions about Mortality and that in several respects Adam may be said to be created mortal and immortal THe fourth Proposition is That from the former premisses it may be deducted that in several respects Adam may be said to be created mortal and immortal yet if we would speak absolutely to the question when demanding how Adam was created we must return Immortall Some indeed because mans mortalilty and immortality depended wholy upon his will as he did will to sinne or not to sinne so they have said he was neither made mortal or immortal but capable of either but that is not to speak consonantly to that excellency of state which Adam was created in for as Adam was created righteous not indifferent as the Socinians say neither good or bad but capacious of either qualification so he was also made immortal not in a neutral or middle state between mortal and immortal so that he had inchoate immortality upon his creation but not consummate or confirmed without respect to perseverance in his obedience for the state of integrity was as it were the beginning of that future state of glory Again Adam might be called mortal in respect of the orginals of his body being taken out of the dust of the earth but that was only in a remote power so God did so adorne him with excellent qualifications in soul and body that the remote power could never be brought into a proxime and immediate disposition much less into an actual death for a thin◠may be said to be mortal 1. In respect of the matter and thus indeed Adams body in a remote sence was corruptible 2. In respect of the forme Thus Philosophers say sublunary things are corruptible because the matter of them hath respect to divers formes whereas they call the heavens incorruptible because the matter is sufficiently actuated by one forme and hath no inclination to another and thus Adam might truly be said to be immortal for it was very congruous that a body should be united to the soul that was sutable to it for that being the form of a man and having an inclination or appetite to the body if man had been made mortal at first the natural appetite would in a great measure have been frustrated it being for a little season only united to the body and perpetually ever afterwards seperated from it Surely as an Artificer doth not use to put a precious Diamond or Pearl into a leaden Ring so neither would God at first joyn such a corruptible body to so glorious and an immortal soul 3. A thing may be said to be mortal in respect of efficiency and thus it is plain Adam was not made mortal for he might through the grace of God assisting have procured immortality to himself that threatening to Adam In the day he should eat of that forbidden fruit he should die the death Gen. 2 17. doth plainly demonstrate that had he not transgressed Gods command he should never have died 4. A thing may be said to be mortal in respect of its end Thus all the beasts of the field whatsoever Puccius thought are mortal because their end was for man to serve him so that it is a wild position to affirm as he doth that there shall be a resurrection of beasts as well as of men for they were made both in respect of matter form and end altogether mortal whereas Adam was made after the Image of God to have communion and fellowship with God and that for ever which could not be without immortality ¶ 5. Prop. 5. THe true causes of death are only revealed in Gods Word All Philosophers and Physitians they searched no further then into the proxim immediate causes of death which are either external or internal they looked no further and knew of no other thing but now by the Word of God we Christians come to know that there are three principal causes of death so that had not they been those intermedious and proxime causes of death had never been The first cause is only by occasion and temptation and that was the Devil he tempted our first parents and thereby was an occasion to let death into the world for this cause the Devil is called Joh. 8. 44. a murderer from the beginning it doth not so much relate to Cain as to Adams transgression yet the Scripture Rom. 5. doth not attribute death to the Devil but to one mans disobedience because Adams will was not forced by Satan he had power to have resisted his temptations only the Devil was the tempting cause The second and most proper cause of death was Adams disobedience so that death is a punishment of that sinne not a natural consequent of mans constitution The History of Adam as related by Moses doth evidently confirme this that there was no footstep of death till he transgressed Gods Law and upon that it was most just that he who had deprived himself of Gods Image which is the life of the soul should also be deprived of his soul which is the life of the body that as when he rebelled against God he presently felt an internal rebellion by lusts within and an external disobedience of all creatures whom he did rule over before by a pacifical dominion so also it was just that he who had deprived himself
estate by Adam for he did at first endow him with all heavenly ability to stand in that glorious estate and thereby to bring happiness to his posterity also Now when Adam by his voluntary disobedience had deprived himself of all this excellency was God bound to restore him a second time If a Debtor by his own prodigality make himself unable to pay his Creditor is the Creditor bound to bestow money upon that man and to put him into his former condition again Now if man own not this to man much lesse doth God to man Lastly The condition of the apostate Angels and Gods dispensation towards them doth abundantly discover what God might do in this case for there is no reason in man why he should be more kind to him then an apostate Angel seeing all are sinfull Now when the Angels fell was God bound to recover theme Did he deliver any one of them out of that wretched estate No more would God have been unjust if he had not saved any one out of all mankind Let us therefore admire at the goodness of God in choosing of some and tremble under his justice in passing by of others taking heed of pride and curiosity in searching into these mysterious wayes of God especially of his prescience and providence in this particular which heads in Divinity are full of comfort as well as excellent in dignity but to be wise in them according to sobriety is operae pretium to erre periculum to acquiesce miraculum as Junius excellently in his close of his dispute with the foresaid Puccius In the next place let us conflict with their Goliah the chiefest support of their cause and that is from the Antithesis or Opposition which the Apostle maketh Rom. 5. 15. between the first man Adam and the second man Jesus Christs wherein the Excellency and Preheminence is given to Christ that his grace doth much more abound to life and justication then Adam's sinne can to condemnation Yea the Apostle useth the same note of Vniversality for the subject of either sometimes all and sometimes many plainly declaring hereby That as there is by Adam a Catholical enmity and offence that we are plunged into in respect of God towards us so there is also as Catholical and Vniversal Reconciliation and favour with God that we are instated into through Christ our Mediater otherwise it seemeth much to derogate from the honour and glory of Christ that his favour and love should be more straitned and limited than Adam's efficacy to our condemnation To this many things are to be considered by way of answer First That if they will rigidly and severely urge the collation made between Adam and Christ then they must conclude of the actual salvation of every man not one excluded For it Adam's sinne did de facto put all into a state of condemnation so that if Gods grace had not wrought an evasion for some all had actually perished Thus it followeth much more than on Christs part that all must be de facto saved and delivered from Adam's transgression with the consequents thereof But the Scripture doth clearly evidence this That in respect of the event the greater part of mankind will be damned The way to hell is a broad way and many enter therein So that Christ is not actually a cause of saving more than Adam is of damning if you respect the event and issue farre more through Adam's disobedience go to hell then through Christs obedience are admitted into Heaven and yet the Adversaries themselves must confess here is no derogation to the honour and glory of Christ And if it be said That it is mans actual unbelief and impentency whereby he doth wilfully and frowardly refuse Christ the Physician of his soul Christ hath put him into a state of favour but he doth voluntarily cast himself out again and so is made unworthy of the grace which cometh by Christ It is answered that is true But 1. How cometh it about that men have such an actual rebellion against Christ Whence is it that they have such an inclination within them to refuse him that is a Saviour though he come for their good Though their sinnes and the Devil will never be that help to them which Christ would be yet they imbrace the later and refuse the former Is not all this from the polluted nature we receive from Adam So that hereby Adam may be thought more universally to destroy then Christ to heal Again In the second place Why is it that through Christ they are not delivered from this rebellion Why is it that he doth not vouchsafe a more tender and pliable heart for condemnation cometh by one sinne but the Apostle aggravaâ—eth the free gift by Christ that it is of many offences unto Justification If then of many why is there any stint or limit of this free gift It is plain that rebellious disposion by some against Christ is wholly subdued and conquered by him and the same power he could put forth in others also if he pleased but he will not do it and therefore the state of reconciliation by Christ is not as extensive as of condemnation by Adam if then for the event it is plain that Adam's condemnation is larger than Christs reconciliation all wicked men being damned in hell both for their original and actual sinnes and then the purpose or decree about this event was no wayes tending to the dishonour of Christ Secondly It is to be considered more diligently in what method the Apostle doth here speak of the Vniversality of the Subject relating to Adam and Christ For the Apostle twice speaking in the general of our condemnation doth use the word all vers 12 Death passed upon all men in that all have sinned And vers 18. Judgement came upon all men to condemnation but to these generals he doth presently subjoyn a distribution of this all and then useth the word many By which it is apparent that the Apostle on purpose altering his speech and distributing this all afterwards into many of two kinds he doth understand the word all not universally but commonly and indifinitely eâ—se why should he immediately upon the word all presently interpret it distributively So that if the Apostles expression and the Coherence of his Discourse be more exactly searched into it will be found not to patrocinate any such supposed Catholical reconciliation For the Apostle divideth the all into the many condemned by Adam eventually and the many justified and saved by Christ effectually Thirdly When the Apostle maketh this comparison between the first Adam to condemnation and Christ to Justification giving the superiority 〈…〉 This is not to be understood in respect of the number of men but of the nature of these gracious effects we hate by Christ This comparison is not for expresse in quantity but quality The Apostle doth not say O how many more as the Pâ—lâ—gians of â—â—d applying Christs benefits to Infants bringing them to the
and fading things before that which is eternal and will continue ever And wherein can the wils sinfulness be proclaimed more then in this Is it not a rule commended by all wise men Tene certum demitte incertum Hold that which is certain and let go that which is uncertain All men have such a will in worldly things they would chuse a certain estate rather then what is meer arbitrary and may be lost the next day but if we bring these men unto spiritual objects and temporal objects lay one in the one side and the other on the other side yet they will chuse the temporals and let go the spirituals Though the temporals are transitory and fleeing away whereas spiritual things would be eternal they would continue thine for ever Oh foolish and unwise men who make such a choice And yet this is the state of every unregenerate man What doth he say Give me the good things of this world though I lose Heaven and eternal Glory Let me have a day pleasure a moments profit though I have an eternity of loss and torments Consider then with thy self what a foolish choise thy will doth make all the day long Thou chusest that which will leave thee which is here to day and like the grass to morrow is thrown into the Oven and in the mean while there is that good which will abide though Heaven and Earth should fall and this thou art willing to pass by Was not Dives called a fool upon this account This night thy soul shall be taken away and then whose shall all these things be The sinfulnesse of thy will herein will never be enough lamented till with Dives thy eyes be opened in Hell and then thou behold what a choice thou hast made Christ giveth Mary this commendation That she had chosen the better part Luke 10. 42. and that should never be taken from her Oh that this also could be said of thee truly thou hast chosen the good part Though the wicked and ungodly of the world think it is the worse part and they would never take it yet it is the good part and that because it will never be taken from thee Thy grace thy good workes will never leave thee but they will goe to the grave with thee to Heaven with thee Thirdly This sinfulness of thy Will in chusing is seen when thou hadst rather sinne then become afflicted and yet this is naturally adhering to every one he will rather chuse to wound conscience to goe against light rather than be brought into trouble Doth not every man naturally judge this the best and so chuse it Hence he never mattereth what God requireth what may damn his soul hereafter only he is resolved he will not put himself upon any hardship for Christ but will launch no further in this deep then he can safely retire back again Every man would naturally get an Ark to save himself in when any publick water do overflow so they escape danger they regard not Gods glory or the Churches good Job's friends did fasten this upon him but falsly Job 36. 21. Take heed regard not iniquity for this hast thou chosen rather then affliction They thought Job desired to sinne and would chuse that rather then to be afflicted by God though Job being sanctified was free from this charge yet it is too true of every man by nature Oh what power of grace is necessary to make a man chuse to do his duty rather then have all the advantages of the world It was Anselm's expression That if sinne were on one side and hell flames on the other he would chuse rather to go through them rather then sinne Even Aristotle could say A virtuous man would die rather then do any dishonest thing But the Scripture giveth an admirable commendation of Moses worthy all our imitation Heb. 11. 25. Chusing rather to suffer for Christ then the pleasures of Aegypt Moses that might have had all the pleasure and honours of Aegypt yet because he could not have them without sinne he rather chuseth the poor and despised estate that his brethren were in So that Moses doth in this case something like Hiram 1 King 9. 13. to whom Solomon gave many Cities but Hiram did not like them and called that place Cabul that is displeasing or dirty Thus Moses called Pharaoh's Court and all his honours Cabul in respect of Christs favour and his love Did not all the holy Martyrs likewise do the same things Were not many of them offered life liberty yea great places of honour if they would renounce Christ if they would forsake his way But they did not stand deliberating and doubting what they should do they immediately chuse to be imprisoned burnt at the stake rather then not confess Christ and his way but the will naturally cannot make such a choice ¶ 7. The Wils loss of that Aptitude and readiness it should have to follow the deliberation and advise of the Understanding THe sinfulnesse of the Will in its noble and famous operation of Election or chusing hath been in a great measure considered I shall adde two particulars more and what is further to be taken notice of in this point will seasonably come in when we are to treat of the Will in its freedome or rather servitude The first of these two to be mentioned is The losse of that aptitude and readinesse it should have to follow the deliberation and prudent advise of the understanding For this is the privitive Institution and nature of the soul in its operations The understanding when the end is pitched upon doth consult and deliberate in a prudential way about the means which may conduce to that end and when prudence doth direct about those things which are to be done then the will is to imbrace and elect that medium rather then any other which reason doth thus wisely suggest Thus it ought to be now the will being wholly corrupt doth not chuse according to the dictates of prudence but the suggestions of sense and the carnal affections within us So that naturally a man chuseth an object not because reason or prudence saith This is good this is according to Gods will but because sense or affection saith this is pleasant and delightfull This sad perverting of the order of the will in its operations if rightly considered would throw us upon the ground and make us with great amazement and astonishment cry out of our selves For what can be more absurd and grievous then the will which is so essentially subordinated in its chusing to the guidance of the understanding should now be so debased that like Samson without eyes it is made to grind in evey mill that any carnal affection shall command we may see the good method and rule the will should walk by in its choice by that which Moses said Deut. 30. 15. 19. See I have set before thee this day life and death good and evil I call heaven and earth to
record this day against you that I have set before you life and eath cursing and blessing therefore choose life Observe what should direct us in choosing viz. That which the servants of God deliver from the Word and so that which the mind of a man enlightned from thence doth declare to us and for defect herein it is that we choose evil and death for how often doth the Minister of the Gospel yea thy own conscience it may be within thee obtest and adjure thy will as herein the Text Moses did the people of Israel I call heaven and earth to witness saith conscience that I have shewed thee the good thou wert to do I have terrified and threatned thee with hell and that vengeance of God which will follow thee upon the commission of such sinnes Therefore look to thy election see again and again what it is that thou choosest But though all this be done yet the will will choose what affections say what sense suggesteth dealing herein like Rehoboam who would not hearken to the advice and direction of the ancient grave and wise counsellors thou plus valet umbrasenis quam gladius juvenus as the expression is in the civil law but he gave his ear to the yong men that flattered him and were brought up with him which proved to his desiruction Thus the will in its choice it maketh listneth not to what the mind doth with deliberation and prudence direct to but what the inferior appetite doth move unto that it followeth And this is the foundation of all those sad and unsuccesfull choices we make in the world this layeth work for that bitter repentance and confusion of soul which many fall into afterward Oh that I had never choosen this way Oh that I had never used such meanes Oh me never wise Oh foolish and wretched man that I am Especially this bitter bewailing and howling about what we have chosen will be discovered in hell what will those eternal yellings and everlasting roarings of soul be but to cry out Oh that I had never chosen to commit such sinnes Oh that I had never chosen such companions to acquaint with Thus the foolish and sinnefull choice thou makest in this life will be the oil as it were poured into those flames of fire in hell to make them burne seven times hotter Secondly The other particular wherein this corrupt frame of the will in election is seen is That in the meanes it doth choose it never considereth how just and lawfull and warrantable the meanes are but how usefull and therefore though God be offended though his Law be broken yet he will choose to do such things whereas we must know that God hath not only required the goodness of an end but also the lawfulness and goodness of the meanes and the sanctified will dareth not use an unlawfull medium to bring about the most desired good that is but the carnal heart taketh up that rule of the Atheistical Politian Quod utile est illud justum est That which is profitable that is just and righteous That famous act of the Athenians being provoked to it by Aristides the Just may shame many Christians when Themistocles had a stratagem in his head against their enemies telling the people he had a matter of great weight in his mind but it was not fit to be communicated to the people The people required him to impart it to Aristides who being acquainted with it declareth it to the people That Themistocle's counsell was utile but injustum profitable but unjust by which meanes the people would not pursue it Here was some restraint upon men by the very principles of a natural conscience but if the will be left to it self and God neither sanctifying or restrayning it it looketh only to the goodness and profitableness in means never to the lawfulness of them Some have disputed Whether it be not lawfull to perswade to use a less evil that a greater may be avoided They instance in Lot offering his daughters to the Sodomites to be abused by them rather then commit a more horrid impiety by abusing themselves with mankind as they thought those strangers to be but the Scripture rule is evident and undeniable We must not do evil that good may come of it Rom. 3. 8. Neither doth a less evil cease to be an evil though compared with a greater and therefore as in a Syllogisme if one of the premises be false there cannot be inferred a true conclusion è falso nil nisi falsum so also è malo nil nisi malum from an evil meanes there can never come but that which is evil though indeed God may by his omnipotent Power work good out of evil know then that it cometh from the pollution of thy will that thou darest make choice of means not because just or righteous but because profitable for that end thou desirest ¶ 8. The Pollution of the Will in its Acts of Consent VVE proceed to another act of the Will as it is exercised about the meanes which is called Consent for though in order of nature this doth precced election yet because I intend not to say much about it at this time because more will be spoken to it when I shall treat of the immediate effects of original sinne I therefore bring it in in this place And for to discover the sinfulness hereof we must know That the will hath a two-fold operation or motion in this respect for there are motus primo primi the immediate and first stirrings of the will antecedently to any deliberation or consent The natural man being wholly carnal cannot feel these no more then a blind man can discern the motes in the air when the Sunne-beames do enlighten it but the godly man as appeareth Rom. 7. he findeth such motions and insurrections of sinne within him and that against his will Now although it be true when there are such motions of the will but resisted and gainsayed they are not such sinnes as shall be imputed unto us and thus far Bernards expression is to be received Non necet sensus rei deest consensus yet they are in themselves truely and properly sinnes The Papists and Protestants are at great difference in this point The Romanists denying all such indeliberate motions antecedent to our consent to be properly sinnes but the Reformed do positively conclude they are and that because the Apostle Rom. 7. calleth them often sinnes and sinnes that are against the law and which ought to be mortified It is true we further adde when the sanctified soul doth withstand them cry out to God for aid against them as the maid in danger to be defloured if she called out for her help the Law of God did then free her so God also will through Christ forgive such sinfull motions of thy soul which appear in thy heart whether thou wilt or no yet for all this these stirrings of the will being inordinate and against the Law of God