Greek φρόνημα σαρκός, which fome do expound the Wisdom, fome Senfuality, fome the Affection, fome the Defire of the Flefh, is not fubject to the Law of God.

4. Although there is no Condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, yet the Apostle doth confefs, that Concupifcence and Luft hath of it felf the Nature of Sin.

The First Propofition. The Words ftandeth not are in the Latin exprefs'd by fitum eft. This being noted,

The Truth of our Church's Account of the Do&trin of the Pelagians is evident from the exprefs Words of that Heretic and St. Auftin's Teftimony. The Works of Pelagius are indeed almost all loft; but St. Austin frequently quotes him, particularly he has preferv'd thefe few Paffages, which I fhall give you for a Taft. In Adam peccaffe omnes, non propter peccatum nafcendi origine attractum, fed propter imitationem, dictum eft. Apud D. Auguft. De Nat. & Gratia contra Pelagianos, cap. 9. Non tantum primo homini, fed etiam humano generi primum illud obfuiffe peccatum, non propagine, fed exemplo.Apud August. contra Pelagium & Cæleftium de peccato Origin. lib. 2. cap. 15. Sicut fine virtute, ita nos fine vitio procreari. ibid. cap. 41. The foregoing Paffages St. Auftin

cites from Pelagius himfelf. And the fame Doctrin is attributed to him and his Followers in St. Auftin's own Words. Quantum autem ex aliis comperi, hoc ibi fentiunt, quod & mors ifta quæ illic commemorata eft, non fit corporis, quam nolunt Adam peccando meruiffe, fed anime que in ipfo peccato fit: & ipfum peccatum, non propagatione in alios homines ex primo homine, fed imitatione tranfiffe. D. Auguft. de peccat. Meritis & Remiffione contra Pelagianos, lib. 1. cap. 9. Afferentes

boc

boc ideo dictum effe, quod Adam peccaverit primum, in quo de cætero quifquis peccare voluit, peccandi invenit exemplum: ut peccatum fcilicet non generatione ab illo uno in omnes homines, fed illius unius imitatione tranfiret. D. Auguft. de Nuptiis & Concupifcentia, lib. 2. cap. 27. 'Twere eafy to heap up more Authorities; but thefe are fufficient.

Now this First Propofition has two Branches. The First is Negative, That Original Sin ftandeth not in the following of Adam, and therein our Church condemns the Pelagians. The Second is pofitive, that Original Sin is the Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every Man, that naturally is ingendred of the Ofspring of Adam, whereby Man is very far gone from Original Righteousness, and is of his own Nature inclined to Evil; fo that the Flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit.

I begin with the latter. Compare the Ninth and Tenth Queftions of Turretin's Locus Nonus, with the whole Third Chapter, and the First Section of the Fourth Chapter, of the Third Book of Limborch's System. You'll perceive, that how much foever they differ about the Imputation of Adam's Sin, and the Explication of fome Texts which are ufually alleg'd to prove the univerfal Corruption of Mankind; yet they agree in this, that there is fuch an universal Corrruption as our Church maintains. And as Experience teaches us the Truth of what they jointly affert; fo fome at least of thofe Texts which are examined by them, bear witness to the fame. Then fubjoin the Twelfth and Thirteenth Chapters of the Second Volume of Dr. Jenkin's Reasonableness and Certainty of the Chriftian Religion.

As for the former Branch of this First Propofition, it is the neceffary Confequence of the lat

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ter.

ter.

For if there be fuch an univerfal Corruption, then Original Sin can't confift in the bare Imitation of our firft Parent Adam. 'Tis true, we do in Fact follow his Example; but that is the Effect of Original Sin, and not the thing it felf. 'Tis true alfo, that we might have finned, if Adam had not done fo before us: But Original Sin makes Actual Tranfgreffion neceffary to those that are defiled with it; fo that in our prefent Circumftances we cannot wholly abftain from Sin, as we might well have done, if a Corruption had not been entail'd upon us.

The Second Propofition has perplex'd many honeft Minds; for no other Reafon, I am perfuaded, but because they have not fufficiently confider'd what our Church afferts. I fhall therefore offer fome Hints.

Upon Suppofition, that our Original Corruption had continued in full Force, without any fuch Reftraint, as the Grace and good Providence of God do now afford us; every Man would naturally and neceffarily grow worfe and worse, and at length become utterly harden'd by a Course of Sin; in confequence of which he could not but have an utter Averfion to that God, in the Enjoyment of whom all rational Happiness consists. Such a Perfon therefore would be unavoidably miserable; and if he continued ever in that State, would be everlastingly miferable. Nor could God himfelf hinder it, without changing the Man, from a State of inveterate Wickednefs, to a State of fincere Holiness; which is contrary to the Suppofition we are now arguing upon.

From hence it follows, that Original Sin doth (that is, the Perfon infected therewith doth upon the account of it) deferve God's Wrath and Dam

nation.

nation. For Desert has relation to the Justice of God, confidered by it felf, as diftinct from his other Attributes. And a Creature is then faid to deferve Punishment at God's hands, when the Juftice of God either obliges him to inflict, or per• mits him not to remove, its Punishment. Now the Juftice of God cannot but (I will not fay inflict; for in this Cafe the Punishment or Mifery is the unavoidable Confequence of its natural Pollution; but) permit the Punishment or Mifery of that Creature to continue, which is a Slave to Sin. Such a Creature therefore must needs deferve God's Wrath, and, as the Confequence thereof, Damnation to all Eternity. Becaufe, unlefs Mercy prevents it (which is not to be fuppofed,, whilst we talk of Defert, which has a relation co Juftice only) it must to all Eternity continue the Object of God's Dif. pleasure.

Let us therefore always bear in our Minds, that the Punishinent of Original Sin is not properly infliEted by God; but 'tis permitted to be the Confequence of that State and Order of things which his Wisdom has appointed. So that whatever God has done, with refpect to Man, is pofitively good, and a real Effect of his infinite Love: and as for the difmal Confequences of Original Sin, they are chargeable, not upon God, but upon our first Parents. And therefore, tho' our first Parents were undoubtedly guilty of the utmost positive Injuftice, in plunging their Pofterity into fuch dreadful Circumftances; yet God is not to be impeach'd for the bare Permiffion of that Punishment, which as long as the Creature continues evil, he is not in Juftice obliged to remove. For how can that Creature, which is justly odious to God in its own Nature, challenge

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lenge God's Juftice to make it happy, whilft it continues odious to him?

Perhaps it may be faid, That 'twas unjuft in God to appoint fuch an Order of things, as that One Man's Mifery fhould be the unavoidable Confequence of another's Wickednefs. To this I anfwer, That in Fact God has acted thus in another Inftance. For one Man may cripple or otherwife ruin another; and in the prefent Order of Things this is fometimes unavoidable: But furely the Juftice of God must not be impeach'd, becaufe he was the Author of that Order. I confefs, there is a vast Difference between Temporal and Eternal Mifery; but yet it must be obferv'd, that as to Mifery it felf, as oppos'd to Happiness, this vaft Difference is not in Kind but in Degree only. And confequently, if it be really unjuft in God to appoint fuch an Order of Things, that the eternal Mifery of one Man depends upon the Will of ano ther: then 'tis as certainly, tho' not equally, unjuft for him to appoint fuch an Order of Things, as that any the smallest Injury fhould be unavoidably done by one Man to another. For the smallest Injustice is as impoffible to God, and as inconfiftent with his Juftice, as the greatest that can be imagined. And yet, furely no Man will accufe God of Injuftice upon the account of this prefent Order of Things; because whatever is properly his, is a Kindness to us, and all the Irregularity must be charged only on fuch as pervert his Order, and abuse it to the Mifery of their Fellow Creatures. Wherefore let the Solution of the one Difficulty be applied to the other. For this Argument against the Justice of God, with refpect to Original Sin, has no more Strength in it, than that which may be urg'd with Parity of Reafon against ordinary Providence. And

the