Welchman on Article IX: Of Original or Birth-sin

Original Sing &c.] Since Infants, as well as adult Per- sons, have need of a Mediator, it follows, that there is some- thing in them which stands in need of being remitted, And what can that be but Sin? And since T’ bey are not capable of following or imitating any other Person, it is evident, that the Sin is the Fauit and Corruption of Nature.

Sce

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of the Church of ExcLanD. 27

Sce Rom. v. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses;

even over Them that had not siuned after the Similitude of Adam’s Transgression. 8

It is the Fault, &c.] See Rom. v. 19. By One Man’s Dis- obedience Many were made Sinners. See also Clement of

Rome. lt is also thus written concerning Fob, That he Caps 17.

was arighteous Man, unblameable, a Person of Veracity,

devout towards God, eschewing all Evil: And yet this

same Job, accusing himself, intimates, That there is no one

free from Pollution, eyen tho’ his Life be but a Day long.“ * And [renzus. “ As in the Beginning all of us were by Av. Her, our first Parents brought into Bondage thro? the Obliga- . 4. c. 39. tion we were under to sufter Death; fo at length, by the

latter Adam, all who from the Beginning have been his Disciples, being cleansed and washed from such Things

as are of a deadly Nature, are permitted to enter into

the Life of God.” And again: „As we offended God 16. J. 5, in the first Alam, by not obeying his Commandment ; © ‘6.

fo we are redilitited in the f.cond Alam, being made obedient even unto Death. For we were Debtors to

none but Him, whose Commandment we had trans-

gressed from the Beginning.“

And St. Cyprian. “ That no one is without Pollution 7,6, 4. and Sin, appears from what “7b says, Il ho can bring a Ruivin. Il. 3, clean Thing out of an unclean * Mot one. Job xiv, 4. And © 54 from Pal. li. 5. Be bald, I was shapen in Iniguity, and in

Sin did my Mather conceive me. A nd from 1 Jahn i. 8. If

we say that we have u Gin, we decei ui ourselves, and the

Truth is not in 1. —And again. * Moreover, if to p,; Gas the greatest Sinners, and to those who have offended God

a long Time since, yet asterwards believe in him, Re-

mission of Sins is granteg, and no one is debarred from receiving Baptism and Grace; how much more ought

not those Benefits to be denied to an Infant, who, being

but newly born, hath as yet no way sinned, except that

being born in the Flesh according to Adam, he hath con-

tracted the Contagion of the Oid Death from his very

Birth; who is the more calily admitted to receive Re-

mission of Sin upon this very Account, because he hath

no Sins othis own to be remitted, but only those of others.“ Naturally is ingendred} Christ is exempted from this

Guilt, as being ingendred /upernaturaly. dee Pearson on the Creed, Art. III. p. 167.

Is very far gase, &c.] dee Rom. vii, 18. I knmo that E 2 in

NoTES an the XXXIX Articles

in Me, that is, in my Flesh, dwelleth no good Thing : For ta will is present with me; but how to perform that which ig ge d, I find not. | ; Of his awn Nature inclined, & c.] See Gen. viii. 21. The Imagination 7 Man’s Heart is evil from his Youth. And Gal. v. 17. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spi- v rut against the Flesh: And thije are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the Things that ye would, | Dillon God’s Mratb, &c.] Not because God imputes to Adam’s Posterity the Crime of his having eaten the for- bidden Fruit, for which Crime he is supposed to have par- don’d Adam upon his Repentance; but because by that Sin Adam thoroughly corrupted his Nature, and because - from a corrupt Parent We aifo are born a corrupt Cff- ipring. For the original Righteousness heing lost, nothing of Good remains in us, but we are naturally propense to all Evil: And therefore we are by Nature the Cbiluren of Frath, Eph. ii. 3. And what Wonder is it, if, since we are so in pure, and ayerse to God, a God of the utmost Purity should also be averse to Us? This rather is to be wondered at, that any Way to Salvation shouid be found out, for such lost and abandoned Creatures. See Rom. v. 18. As by the Offence of One, Judgment came upen all Men to Condem- nation; so by the Righteousness of One, the free Gift came upon all Hen unto Fuslisi ation of Life. dee also Now eli Catech. p. 53, 54. Homilyof the Nativity. And Homily of the Passion, Part II. J7all’s Rift. of Inf. Bapt. Part I. Ch. 1g Prideaux’s Fase, Controv. C. 3.Q. 2. This Infection of Nature doth remain, &c.] This certainly cannot be doubted of, since it is too plainly manitested by fad Experience, See Gal. v. 17. above-cited. I not sulject, &c.] See Rom. viii. . The carnal Mind is Enmity again/t God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. Although there is na Condemnation, &c.] See Rom. viii, 1. There is now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Fejtts, whe wal not aster the Flesh, but after the Spirit. Hath of itself the Nature :f Sin} Of a Sin of Infirmity at least; for unless it hurry the Will along with it, doubt- less it is not a voluntary one, nor will it be imputed to the Regenerate for their Condemnation. Sce Rn. vii. 7. [hat

re RN er

. shall we say then? Is the Law Sin? God forbid Nay, I had 1 not known Sin, but by the Law : For I had net known Luft, aft X -except the Lato had sain, Thon shalt net ccvet. […] 55 ASE 8

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| ‘)N of the Church of ENGLAND.

« 5 = Nawelii Cat. p. 35. Prideaux’s Fasc. Controv. C. Jewel!‘s Def. Apol. Fart II. Ch. 11. Divis. 3. Field 9 che — B. III. Ch. 26. Peas son on the Creed, p. 301.

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