An Apology for the True Christian Divinity. Robert Barclay

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      Answ.To this I answer: That Adam is a publick Person is not denied; and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all Men, which in its own Nature is sinful, and inclines Men to Iniquity; yet it will not follow from thence, that Infants, who join not with this Seed, are guilty. As for these Words in the Romans, the Reason of the Guilt there alleged is, For that all have sinned. Now no Man is said to sin, unless he actually sin in his own Person; for the Greek Words [Greek: eph' ô: εφ ω] may very well relate to [Greek: thanatos: θανατος], which is the nearest Antecedent; so that they hold forth, how that Adam, by his Sin, gave an Entrance to Sin in the World; And so Death entered by Sin, [Greek: eph' ô: εφ ω] i.e. upon which [viz. Occasion] or, in which [viz. Death] all others have sinned; that is, actually in their own Persons; to wit, all that were capable of sinning: Of which Number that Infants could not be, the Apostle clearly shews by the following Verse, Sin is not imputed, where there is no Law: And since, as is above proved, there is no Law to Infants, they cannot be here included.

      Obj. 2.Their Second Objection is from Psalm li. 5. Behold I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Hence, they say, it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty.

      Answ. How they infer this Consequence, for my Part I see not. The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more ascribable to the Parents than to the Child. Conceived in Sin answered.It is said indeed, In Sin did my Mother conceive me; not my Mother did conceive me a Sinner. Besides that, so interpreted, contradicts expresly the Scripture before-mentioned in making Children guilty of the Sins of their immediate Parents, (for of Adam there is not here any Mention) contrary to the plain Words, The Son shall not bear the Father’s Iniquity.

      

      Obj. 3.Thirdly, They object, That the Wages of Sin is Death; and that seeing Children are subject to Diseases and Death, therefore they must be guilty of Sin.

      Answ.I answer; That these Things are a Consequence of the Fall, and of Adam’s Sin, is confessed; but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are subject to them is denied. Death the Wages of Sin answered.For though the Whole outward Creation suffered a Decay by Adam’s Fall, which groans under Vanity; according to which it is said in Job, That the Heavens are not clean in the Sight of God; yet will it not from thence follow, that the Herbs, Earth, and Trees are Sinners.

      Next, Death, though a Consequent of the Fall, incident to Man’s earthly Nature, is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints, but rather a Sleep, by which they pass from Death to Life; which is so far from being troublesome and painful to them, as all real Punishments for Sin are, that the Apostle counts it Gain: To me, saith he, to die is Gain, Philip. i. 21.

      Obj. 4.Some are so foolish as to make an Objection farther, saying, That if Adam’s Sin be not imputed to those who actually have not sinned, then it would follow that all Infants are saved.

      Answ. But we are willing that this supposed Absurdity should be the Consequence of our Doctrine, rather than that which it seems our Adversaries reckon not absurd, though the undoubted and unavoidable Consequence of theirs, viz. That many Infants eternally perish, not for any Sin of their own, but only for Adam’s Iniquity; where we are willing to let the Controversy stop, commending both to the illuminated Understanding of the Christian Reader.

      This Error of our Adversaries is both denied and refuted by Zuinglius, that eminent Founder of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland, in his Book De Baptismo, for which he is anathematized by the Council of Trent, in the Fifth Session. We shall only add this Information: That we confess then that a Seed of Sin is transmitted to all Men from Adam, although imputed to none, until by sinning they actually join with it; in which Seed he gave Occasion to all to sin, and it is the Origin of all evil Actions and Thoughts in Men’s Hearts, [Greek: eph' ô: εφ ω] to wit, [Greek: thanatô: θανατω], as it is in Rom. v. i.e. In which Death all have sinned. For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scripture, and the Body of Death; seeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteousness and Holiness: Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man, the Old Adam, in which all Sin is; for which cause we use this Name to express this Sin, and not that of Original Sin; Original Sin no Scripture Phrase.of which Phrase the Scripture makes no Mention, and under which invented and unscriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took Place among Christians.

PROPOSITIONS V. & VI.

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      Concerning the Universal Redemption by Christ, and also the Saving and Spiritual Light, wherewith every Man is enlightened.

      PROPOSITION V.

[54]God, out of his Infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but that all should live and be saved, hath so loved the World, that he hath given his only Son a Light, that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved, John iii. 16. Who enlighteneth EVERY Man that cometh into the World, John i. 9. And maketh manifest all Things that are reproveable, Ephes. v. 13. And teacheth all Temperance, Righteousness, and Godliness; and this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all, for a Time, in order to Salvation; and this is it which reproves the Sin of all Individuals, and would work out the Salvation of all, if not resisted. Nor is it less Universal than the Seed of Sin, being the Purchase of his Death, who tasted Death for every Man. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, 1 Cor. xv. 22.

[54] Ezek. 18. 32. & 33. 11.

      PROPOSITION VI.

According to which Principle, or Hypothesis, all the Objections against the Universality of Christ’s Death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels, and those other Miraculous Means which they say God useth to manifest the Doctrine and History of Christ’s Passion unto such, who, living in Parts of the World where the outward Preaching of the Gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common Grace. For as hence it well follows, that some of the Old Philosophersmight have been saved, so also may some, who by Providence are cast into those remote Parts of the World where the Knowledge of the History is wanting, be made Partakers of the Divine Mystery, if they receive, and resist not that Grace, [55]A Manifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal.This most certain Doctrine being then received, that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all, the Universality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind, both in the Death of his Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Manifestation of the Light in the Heart, is established and confirmed, against all the Objections of such as deny it. Therefore [56]Christ hath tasted Death for every Man; not only for all Kinds of Men, as some vainly talk, but for every Man of all Kinds: The Benefit of whose Offering is not only extended to such who have the distinct outward Knowledge of his Deathand Sufferings, as the same is declared in the Scriptures, but even unto those who are necessarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by some inevitable Accident; which Knowledge we willingly confess to be very Profitable and Comfortable, but not absolutely Needful unto such from whom God himself hath with-held it; yet they may be made Partakers СКАЧАТЬ