sitive sin, and if it be not positive, it cannot be inherent :' and therefore that it is necessary that they add " indignitatem habendi:" "a certain unworthiness to have it" being in every man, that is the sin. But then if it be asked, What makes them unworthy, if it be not the want of original righteousness,—and that then they are not two things but one, seemingly, and none really;-they are not yet agreed upon an answer. Aquinas and his scholars say, original sin is 'a certain spot upon the soul.' Melancthon, considering that concupiscence, or the faculty of desiring, or the tendency to an object, could not be a sin, fancied original sin to be an actual depraved desire.'-Illyricus says, it is the substantial image of the devil.' Scotus and Durandus say, it is nothing but a mere guilt,' that is, an obligation passed upon us, to suffer the evil effects of it: which indeed is most moderate of all the opinions of the school, and differs not at all, or scarce discernibly, from that of Albertus Pighius, and Catharinus, who say that' original sin is nothing, but the disobedience of Adam imputed to us.' But the Lutherans affirm it to be the depravation of human nature without relation to the sin of Adam, but a vileness that is in us;' the church of Rome of late says, that, besides the want of original righteousness with an habitual aversion from God, it is a guiltiness and a spot; but it is nothing of concupiscence, that being the effect of it only.'-But the protestants of Mr. Calvin's persuasion affirm, that concupiscence is the main of it, and is a sin before and after baptism;' but amongst all this infinite uncertainty, the church of England speaks moderate words, apt to be construed to the purposes of all peaceable men that desire her communion.

26. Thus every one talks of original sin, and agree that there is such a thing, but what it is, they agree not and therefore in such infinite variety, he were of a strange imperious spirit that would confine others to his particular fancy; for my own part, now that I have shewn what the doctrine of the purest ages was, what uncertainty there is of late in the question, what great consent there is in some of the main parts of what I affirm, and that in the contrary particulars men cannot agree, I shall not be ashamed to profess what company I now keep in my opinion of the article; no

worse men than Zuinglius, Stapulensis, the great Erasmus, and the incomparable Hugo Grotius, who also says there are "multi in Gallia, qui eandem sententiam magnis sane argumentis tuentur," "many in France, which with great argument defend the same sentence;" that is, who explicate the article entirely as I do; and as St. Chrysostom and Theodoret did of old, in compliance with those holy fathers that went before them: with whom although I do not desire to err, yet I suppose their great names are guard sufficient against prejudices and trifling noises, and an amulet against the names of Arminian, Socinian, Pelagian, and I cannot tell what monsters of appellatives; but these are but boys' tricks, and arguments of women; I expect from all that are wiser, to examine whether this opinion does not, or whether the contrary does better, explicate the truth, with greater reason, and to better purposes of piety; let it be examined which best glorifies God, and does honour to his justice and the reputation of his goodness; which does with more advantage serve the interest of holy living, and which is more apt to patronize carelessness and sin: these are the measures of wise and good men ; the other are the measures of fairs and markets; where fancy and noise do govern.

SECTION VI.

An Exposition of the Ninth Article of the Church of England concerning Original Sin; according to Scripture and Reason. 27. AFTER all this, it is pretended and talked of, that my doctrine of original sin is against the ninth article of the church of England; and that my attempt to reconcile them was ineffective. Now although this be nothing to the truth or falsehood of my doctrine, yet it is much concerning the reputation of it. Concerning which, I cannot be so much displeased that any man should so undervalue my reason, as I am highly content that they do so very much value her authority. But then to acquit myself and my doctrine from being contrary to the article, all that I can do is to expound the article, and make it appear, that not only the words of it are capable of a fair construction, but also that it is rea

Lib. de Bapt. tract. 3. in cap. 5. hom.

sonable they should be expounded so as to agree with Scripture and reason, and as may best glorify God, and that they require it. I will not pretend to believe that those doctors who first framed the article, did all of them mean as I mean; I am not sure they did or that they did not,-but this I am sure, that they framed the words with much caution and prudence, and so as might abstain from grieving the contrary minds of differingmen. And I find that in the' Harmony of Confessions' printed in Cambridge 1586, and allowed by public authority, there is no other account given of the English confession in this article, but that "every person is born in sin, and leadeth his life in sin, and that nobody is able truly to say his heart is clean. That the most righteous person is but an unprofitable servant: that the law of God is perfect, and requireth of us perfect and full obedience: that we are able by no means to fulfil that law in this worldly life: that there is no mortal creature which can be justified by his own deserts in God's sight." Now this was taken out of the English confession inserted in the General Apology' written in the year 1562, in the very year the articles were framed. I therefore have reason to believe, that the excellent men of our church, bishops and priests, did with more candour and moderation opine in this question; and therefore, when by the violence and noises of some parties they were forced to declare something, they spake warily, and so as might be expounded to that doctrine, which in the General Apology' was their allowed sense. However, it is not unusual for churches, in matters of difficulty, to frame their articles so as to serve the ends of peace, and yet not to endanger truth, or to destroy liberty of improving truth, or a further reformation. And since there are so very many questions and opinions in this point, either all the dissenters must be allowed to reconcile the article and their opinion, or must refuse her communion; which whosoever shall enforce, is a great schismatic and an uncharitable man. This only is certain, that to tie the article and our doctrine together, is an excellent art of peace, and a certain signification of obedience; and yet is a security of truth, and that just liberty of understanding, which, because it is only God's subject, is then sufficiently submitted to men, when we consent in the same form of words.

The Article is this.

Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam, as the Pelagians do vainly talk.

28. "The following of Adam," that is, the doing as he did, is actual sin, and in no sense can it be original sin; for that is as vain as if the Pelagians had said the second' is the 'first;' and it is as impossible that what we do should be Adam's sin, as it is unreasonable to say that his should be really and formally our sin; imitation supposes a copy, and those are two terms of a relation, and cannot be coincident, as like is not the same.' But then if we speak of original sin as we have our share in it, yet cannot our imitation of Adam be it, possibly it may be an effect of it, or a consequent. But therefore Adam's sin did not introduce a necessity of sinning upon us: for if it did, original sin would be a fatal curse, by which is brought to pass, not only that we do, but that we cannot choose but, follow him: and then the following of Adam would be the greatest part of original sin expressly against the article.

29. "But it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man.".

"The fault:" vitium naturæ;' so it is in the Latin copies, not a sin properly, "non talia sunt vitia, quæ jam peccata dicenda sunt," but a disease of the soul, as blindness, or crookedness; that is, it is an imperfection or state of deficiency from the end whither God did design us: we cannot with this nature alone go to heaven; for it having been debauched by Adam, and disrobed of all its extraordinaries and graces whereby it was, or might have been, made fit for heaven,-it is returned to its own state, which is perfect in its kind, that is, in order to all natural purposes, but imperfect in order to supernatural, whither it was designed. The case is this. The eldest son of Croesus, the Lydian, was born dumb, and by the fault of his nature was unfit to govern the kingdom; therefore his father, passing him by, appoint, ed the crown to his younger brother; but he in a battle seeing his father in danger to be slain, in zeal to save his father's life, strained the ligatures of his tongue, till that broke which

S. Aug.

bound him; by returning to his speech, he returned to his title. We are born thus imperfect, unfit to reign with God for ever, and can never return to a title to our inheritance, till we by the grace of God be redintegrate and made perfect like Adam: that is, freed from this state of imperfection by supernatural aids, and by the grace of God be born again.

"Corruption." This word is exegetical of the other, and though it ought not to signify the diminution of the powers of the soul,-not only because the powers of the soul are not corruptible, but because if they were, yet Adam's sin could not do it, since it is impossible that an act proper to a faculty should spoil it, of which it is rather perfective: and an act of the will can no more spoil the will, than an act of understanding can lessen the understanding :-yet this word 'corruption' may mean a spoiling or disrobing our nature of all its extraordinary investitures, that is, supernatural gifts and graces, 'a comparative corruption :' so as Moses's face, when the light was taken from it; or a diamond, which is more glorious by a reflex ray of the sun, when the light was taken off, falls into darkness, and yet loses nothing of its nature. But 'corruption' relates to the body, not to the soul, and in this article may very properly and aptly be taken in the same sense as it is used by St. Paul; "The body is sown in corruption," that is, in all the effects of its mortality; and this indeed is a part of original sin, or the effect of Adam's sin,it introduced natural corruption, or the affections of mortality, the solemnities of death; for indeed this is the greatest part of original sin; fault and corruption, mean the concupiscence and mortality.

"Of the nature of every man." This gives light to the other, and makes it clear it cannot be in us properly a sin,for sin is an affection of persons, not of the whole nature: for a universal cannot be the subject of circumstances, and particular actions, and personal proprieties; as human nature cannot be said to be drunk, or to commit adultery; now because sin is an action or omission, and it is made up of many particularities, it cannot be subjected in human nature: for if it were otherwise, then a universal should be more particular than that which is individual, and a whole should

t 1 Cor. xv.