Tomline on Article XV: Of Christ alone without Sin

HIS SPIRIT. That Christ was free from sin of every species and denomination appears from the whole course of his life, as recorded in the Gos- pels ; and it is expressly asserted in the foUowiog passages in the Epistles ; ” Who did no sin, nei- ther was guile found in his mouth (a)” — ” We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was in all things tempted like as we are, yet without sin (b).^ — Christ is also called, ” Holy, harmless, unde- filed, and separate from sinners (c)” — ^The So- cinians hold that Christ was peccable, which seems to be a consequence of their considering him as a mere man, and of their denial of the doctrine of the atonement.

He came to be a lamb without spot, who, by sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins of the world; and sin, as st. john saith, was not in him. The Jews were commanded, when they celebrated the Passover, in commemoration of their deliver- ance from Egyptian bondage, to choose out of their flocks a lamb without spot or blemish, and to offer it as a sacrifice to God. This was a type of Christ, who, being without spot or sin, offered himself to God as a sacrifice for the sins of the

wh(Je

(a) 1 Pef. c. 2. V. 22. (b) Heb. c. 4, v. 15-

(c) Heb. c. 7. V. 26.

ART. XV.] Thirty-nine Articles. 285

whole world; and thence he is called the true Paschal Lamb : ” Christ, our Passover, is sacri- ficed for us (d)r—” Behold,” said John the Bap- list, ” the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world (e)” — ” Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (f)” — ” Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin r^;.’^

But all we the rest (although baptiz- ed AND BORN AGAIN IN CHRISt) YET OFFEND

IN MANY THINGS. That all men are liable to sin, and actually commit it, has been noticed in the explanation of former article : and, therefore, if

SELVES, AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN \JS(h). This

latter part of the article was directed against the Pelagians and others, who asserted that men, after baptism, might live without sin. But in the an- tient fathers of the church we find a very opposite doctrine ; ” Let no one,” says Cyprian, ” flatter himself with the idea of being innocent, since nobody is innocent ; and by extolling himself, a person would only aggravate his punishment. He is instructed and taught that he is guilty of sin

every

(d) 1 Cor. c. 5. V. 7. (e) John, c. 1. v. 29.

(f) Heb. c. 9. V. 26. (g) 1 John, 0.3. v. 5.

(h) 1 John, c. 1. V. 8,

a 86 Exposition of the [part. iii.

every day, since he is commanded to pray every day (i).^’ Some modem enthusiasts consider themselves as entirely free from sinj and the Mo* ravian Anabaptists are said to omit this part of the Lord’s Prayer, ” Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us ;”* because being regenerated, they are no longer guilty of sin /Ar^.

While we condemn the presumption of those who think more highly of themselves than they ou^t to think, we must be careful not to suffer the infirmity of human nature to be abused into an encouragement to sin, or perverted into a cause of gloomy despondence ; it should rather stimu- late us to vigilance and exertion, than drive us to negligence or despair. Though we cannot ar- rive at sinless purity, it is still our duty to aim at an uniform obedience to all God’s commands ; and to indulge any apprehensions which tend to weaken the energy of our minds, is doubly sin- ful, because we thus voluntarily increase the dif- ficulty of obedience to the will of God, and in reality doubt his assurance, that our sincere en- deavours to persevere in the paths of virtue and religion will be forwarded by the assistance of divine grace.

(i) De Orat. Dom.

(k) Key’s Lectures, vol. 3. p. 422.

AUT. XVI.] Thirty-mnc Articles. 287