created or dependent in the Trinity; nor any thing superinduced, as if it did not exist before, but came in afterwards. And therefore the Father was never without the Son, nor the Son without the Spirit; but there was always the same immutable and invariable Trinity.

ARTICLE IX.

Of Original, or Birth-sin.

ORIGINAL sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk); but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, poóvnpa σapkòs, which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh, is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.

Original sin, &c.] Since infants as well as adult persons have need of a Mediator, it follows, that there is something in them which stands in need of being remitted. And what can that be but sin? And since they are not capable of following or imitating any other person, it is evident, that the sin is the fault and corruption of nature.

See Rom. v. 14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses; even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression.

It is the fault, &c.] See Rom. v. 19. By one man's disobedience many were made sinners. See also Clement of Rome. "It is also thus written concerning Job, That Cap. 17. "he was a righteous man, unblamable, a person of veracity, devout towards God, eschewing all evil: and yet "this same Job, accusing himself, intimates, that there is

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no one free from pollution, even though his life be but "a day long."

And Irenæus. "As in the beginning all of us were by Adv. Hær. "our first parents brought into bondage through the ob- 4. 4. c. 39. ligation we were under to suffer death: so at length,

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Quirin. l. 3.

c. 54.

"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 Ib. l. 5. "offended God in the first Adam, by not obeying his c. 16. "commandment; so we are reconciled in the second Adam, being made obedient even unto death. For we 66 were debtors to none but him, whose commandment we had transgressed from the beginning.' And St. Cyprian. "That no one is without pollution Test. ad. "and sin, appears from what Job says, Who can bring a "clean thing out of an unclean? Not one. Job xiv. 4. "And from Psal. li. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, "and in sin did my mother conceive me. And from "1 John i. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive "ourselves, and the truth is not in us."-And again. Epist. 64. "Moreover, if to the greatest sinners, and to those who "have offended God a long time since, yet afterwards "believe in him, remission of sin is granted, 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 contracted the contagion of the old "death from his very birth; who is the more easily ad"mitted to receive remission of sin upon this very account, "because he hath no sins of his own to be remitted, but "only those of others."

Naturally is engendered] Christ is exempted from this guilt, as being engendered supernaturally. See Pearson on the Creed, Art. III. p. 167.

Is very far gone, &c.] See Rom. vii. 18. I know that

in me, (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Of his own nature inclined, &c.] See Gen. viii. 21. The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. And Gal. v. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Deserveth God's wrath, &c.] Not because God imputes to Adam's posterity the crime of his having eaten the forbidden fruit, for which crime he is supposed to have pardoned Adam upon his repentance; but because by that sin Adam thoroughly corrupted his nature, and because from a corrupt parent, we also are born a corrupt offspring. For the original righteousness being lost, nothing of good remains in us, but we are naturally propense to all evil and therefore we are by nature the children of wrath, Eph. ii. 3. And what wonder is it, if, since we are so impure, and averse 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 should be found out for such lost and abandoned creatures. See Rom. v. 18. As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men tỏ condemnation; so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

See also Nowelli Catech. p. 53, 54. Homily of the Nativity. And Homily of the Passion, Part II. Wall's Hist. of Inf. Bapt. Part I. Ch. 19. Prideaux's Fasc. Controv. C. 3. Q. 3.

This infection of nature doth remain, &c.] This certainly cannot be doubted of, since it is too plainly manifested by sad experience. See Gal. v. 17. above-cited.

Is not subject, &c.] See Rom. viii. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Although there is no condemnation, &c.] See Rom. viii. 1. There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Hath of itself the nature of sin] Of a sin of infirmity at least; for unless it hurry the will along with it, doubtless it is not a voluntary one, nor will it be imputed to the regenerate for their condemnation. See Rom. vii. 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

See also Nowelli Cat. p. 35. Prideaux's Fasc. Controv. C. 3. Q. 5. Jewell's Def. Apol. Part II. Ch. 11. Divis. 3. Field of the Church, B. III. Ch. 26. Pearson on the Creed, p. 361.

ARTICLE X.

Of Free-Will.

THE Condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.

The condition, &c.] God created man perfect in his kind, and with a will which was free to choose either good or evil. But he fell from that liberty, when he committed sin; he broke that power which he had of election or choice; he ceased to be free with relation to good, and became the servant of sin. From thence proceeds such a blindness of his understanding, such a perverseness of his will, and such an impetuousness of his passions and appetites, that, when left to himself, he is not able either to discern or choose those things which are truly good, but is hurried into the choice of such things as are contrary thereto. And therefore the Apostle says, That they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom. viii. 8. Hence we have need of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to enable us to choose and perform whatever is good. When, as it is the most excellent gift of God, and as it is freely given, is by way of eminence called grace. And indeed it seems to be wanting to no one, who is not wanting to himself.

See John xv. 4, 5. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the

Quis dives salv. c. 21.

Adv. Hær.

1. 4. c. 27.

vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. And John vi. 44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. And 1 Cor. ii. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And 1 Cor. xii. 3. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

See also Clement of Alexandria. "Whilst a man strives "and labours by himself to subdue his vicious affections, "he is able to perform nothing: but, if he show himself "to be very earnestly and vehemently desirous of it, he "becomes able, through the addition of the divine power, "to accomplish what he desired: for God favours, and "co-operates with willing minds."-And Irenæus. "No 66 man, who does not partake of the blessing and assistance of the Lord, can procure to himself the means of De Oratione," salvation."-And Tertullian. "Our Saviour himself "declared, that he did not his own, but his Father's will. "Doubtless the things which he did were the will of his "Father, and the patterns which we are now called forth "to imitate, that we may both preach, and work, and "bear them even unto death: which that we may accomplish, we have need of the will of God."

c. 4.

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Good works.] Works done before the grace of Christ may have some specious appearance of good, from whence they are called good, but improperly: for in reality they are not good. See Article XIII.

Without the grace of God, &c.] For neither can we believe unless God open our hearts (Acts xvi. 14.) neither can we will or do, unless He of his good pleasure work in us for those ends. Phil. ii. 17. See Nowelli Catech. p. 104. Hammond's Pract. Cat. B. V. Sect. 4. Wall's Hist. of Inf. Bapt. Part I. Chap. 19. Prideaux's Fasc. Contr. C. 3. Q.4. Hall's Roma Irreconcil. Sect. 9. Field of the Church, p. 281. Pearson on the Creed, 327.

By Christ.] All the spiritual benefits, which God ever conferred upon men, he conferred by and for the sake of Christ alone. And therefore as many as under the first covenant pleased God, (and that some of them pleased him, appears from Heb. xi.) did it not by the strength of their own free-will, but by the assistance of God's grace, which was then also conferred through Christ. For his