command Thou shalt not eat for the Lord sayth All soules are mine both the soule of the father and the soule of the son that soule that sinneth it shall dye The son shall not beare the iniquitie of the father c. Ans. First the prophet speaketh not in Ezek. 18.4 c. of Adam but of the later fathers of the Iewes which sinned v. 2. but Paul speaketh of Adam who was not onely a particular person as all other fathers in this case are but an universall man the root of all mankind and a figure of Christ Rom. 5.14 Againe the Prophet speaketh of such sonns as are just and do not such like sins as their fathers did Ezek. 18.5.14 c. but Paul speaketh of us all as we are in Adam unjust and sinners and guiltie of our first fathers iniquitie Râ—m 5.12.19 So these two scriptures the one speaking of actuall sinnes vvhiâ—h are eschewed the other speaking of originall sinne which we now cannot avoyd speak not of one and the same sinne or estate and therefore doe not one expound an other Thirdly the Prophet exempteth the good children which eschew their fathers siâ—nes from death Ezek. 18.9.17 The Apostle inwrappeth us all the sonnes of Adam in his sinne and in death Rom. 5.12 14 17. Fourthly the Prophet speaketh generally of the many sinnes which the fathers did and the sonnes did not Ezek. 18.6.7.8.18 the Apostle speaketh of that one sinne or offence by vvhich we all being in Adams loynes are guiltie Rom. 5.16 But to this they both agree the Prophet sayth The soule that sinneth it shâ—ll die Ezek. 18 4 the Apostle sayth thâ—t all haue sinned to vvit in Adams loynes therefore death paâ—seth upon all Rom. 5. â—2 Hereby all vvise men may see how impertinent a proofe the Anabaptists bring from Ezek. 18. that Adams sinne brings not any soule to hell For Adams sinne bringing sinne and death upon all and hell being the death vvhich is eternall it is brought by his sinne upon all his posteritie except through Iâ—sus Christ our Lord they haue eternall life which is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 Further they answer and desire it may well be observed that mankind was onely in Adam in their bodily substance he is the father of our bodies in respect of matter but our forme and soules came from God he is the father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 Eccles. 12.7 8 8 that earthly matter was in Adam of which our bodies are made c. thus and no otherwise were we in Adam Answ. We obserue it well and obserue their error also It is untrue that thus to wit in respect of our bodies onely we were in Adam and not in respect of our soules no scripture teacheth them this but their own fansie For though our soules were not in all respects in Adam as our bodies were to wit materially yet in some respâ—ct to wit formally we were in Adam both body and soule which I thus manifest Adam begat Seth in his own image Gen. 5 Abraham begat Isaak c. Math. 1. so body begetteth not body but man begetteth man and man consisteth of body and soule which are the parts that constitute a man So man that is the whole not part of a man onâ—ly is sayd to be borne of a woman Iob. 14.1 yea the 66 soules whereby figuratiuely is meant persons consisting of bodies and soules are sayd to come out of Iakobs thigh or loynes Gen. 46.26 and Levi in the lâ—ynes of Abraham is sayd to pay tythes Heb 7.9 10. Now the body without the spirit is dead and therefore cannot pay tythes nor do any action And in the place and case in hand in Adam all sinned all died judgement came on all men to condemnation Rom. 5.12.18 but the body without the soule sinneth not neither â—yeth nor shall bee condemned Therefore it is apparant that the scripture speaketh of men in Adam otherwise then in respect of their bodies onely so that thâ—se mens speciall observation is nothing worth Againe they plead As God gaue no law to Adam before hee gaue him a soule of reason and understanding no mâ—re doth he giue to any of Adams posteritie aâ—y law till he giue them soules of reason and understanding as in Deut. 11.2 I speak not to your children which haue neither known nor seen c. Answ. First the words of Moses to Israel to whom he propounded the law are not to be compared with Gods law given to Adam for the Israelites were spoken to personally Adam generally as an universall man the root of all mankine as before is proved Secondly the covenant of Moses law did also after a sort pertaine to their children which then were not Deut. 29.14.15 though it was actually taught thâ—m onely which were present Dâ—ut 11. Thirâ—ly the sin which Paul treateth of and death for sin was in the world before Moses law which these men speak of Rom. 5.12.13.14 Fourthly let all they say be given them yet it helpes them not for I haue before proved that we were all in Adam as living men not as dead corpses and so had soules of â—easoâ— and understanding in him originally even as we had bodies eyes eares c. in him originally though after a different manner as before is noted Further they say God never purposed to execute on Adam for that transgression condemnation to hell in that hee purposed to send Christ betwixt in whom Adam beleeving should be saved If Adam for his own sin was not condemned to hell without remedy shall any of his posteritie be sent to hell without remedy and that for his sin c. Answ. 1. The question in the first place is changed which is whether Adam and all his posteritie in him falling from God deserved not hell for their sinne This they deny not neither can disproue 2. As God purposed not to damne Adam for his sinne so neither purposed he to damne Noah for his drunkennesse Lot for his incest David for his adultery and murder c. but to giue thâ—m remedie by faith in Christ. Will they hereupon plead that other actuall drunkards murderers whoremongers deserue not damnation or shall not many such be damned for these sinnes 3. Though all infants for their natiue sinne and all men for their actuall sinnes deserue damnatâ—on yet never was it Gods purpose to damne all without remedy For Christ the second Adam giveth righteousnesse and life to all infants and old transgressors that are borne of him as the first Adam conveyed unrighteousnesse and death to all his ordinary naturall posteritie Yea grace here exceedeth for the judgement or guilt of originall sin was by one offence to condemnation but the free gift by Christ is of many offences unto justification Rom. 5.16 They object that condemnation is for not beleeving in Christ Ioh 3 19. 16 9. Mar. 16.16 Rom. 11.32 Answ. First thâ— Apostle sayth the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 therefore the wicked shall be condemned
Psal. 51. Secondly it is another abuse of scripture that they say weake flesh is called sinfull flâ—sh in which Christ came Rom. 8.1 where first they make David no more a sinner at his birth then Christ himselfe contrarie to the whole tenour of this Psalme and contrary to Rom. 5. as is before shewed Then they falsifie the text in Rom. 8.1.3 for the weaknesse there spoken of is in the Law it was weake through the flesh and so not able to saue sinners Thirdly by Flesh there Paul meaneth not the substance of flesh for that vveakneth not the Law nor hindereth mans salvation it is the good creature of God as is the soule or spirit but hee meaneth by flesh our corrupt sinfull state in soule and body for he sayth in verse 8. they that are in the flesh cannot please God If flesh meane our bodily substance then no man living in the body can please God not the Prophets not the Apostles no nor Christ himselfe for he lived in our flesh in our humame nature and the Apostle should speake untruly in the ninth verse yee are not in the flâ—sh Wherefore flesh in Rom. 8. signifieth our unregenerate state as in Genes 6.3 Iohn 3.6 Rom. 7.18 8.5.9 Fourthly it is another falsification when they say sinfull flesh in which Christ came the scripture sayth not in sinfull flesh but in the likenesse of sinfull flesh Rom. 8.3 Fiftly weaknesse or infirmitie as it meaneth not sin but affliction such Christ had such the Apostle tooke pleasure 2 Cor. 12 10 but infirmity as it meaneth sin Christ had not he is opposed herein to the Priests of the Law vvhich had infirmity or vveakenesse Heb. 7 27 28 and 4 15 But David in Psal. 51 confesseth such infirmity if they vvill haue it so called as vvas sinne and iniquity vvhich proveth he was a transgressor from the womb and not vvithout sin as vvas Christ. 6 Christ is said to be made sin for us 2 Cor. 5 21 these words for us the adversaries baulk and omit David vvas not made sinne for us or for any but vvas himselfe conceived in sinne Christ being himselfe no sinner yet vvas hee made sin that is a sinâ—offering for us to purge us and make us the righteousnesse of God in him for the Sin-offering vvas usually called sin in the Law Lev. 4 3 8 14 20 24 c. the Apostle expoundeth it For sin meaning a sacrifice for sin Heb. 10 6 from Psal. 40 thus Christ vvas a sinne that is a sacrifice for sinne but David vvas not so Therefore these places speake not of sinne in one and the same sense but in the contrarie David complaineth of his ovvn sinne and guiltinesse Paul speaketh of Christ his purging David and us all from sinne and guiltinesse by being made a sinne offering for us Their former answer being so apparantly against the truth that David acknowledging sinne they vvill haue it no sinne but weaknesse they devise to darken the light with an other cloud as if David spake not of his own estate but his mothers and then say they it is the curse or punishment for sinne laid upon her Gen. 3 16 where the very words agree with these of Davids c. and it is frequent in Scripture to call punishment for sinne by the name of sinne c. and it is neither Davids sinne nor his mothers that hee heere confesseth to speake properly but his mothers punishment Answ. As a bird in the net so the more they striue the more they are intangled First the whole scope of the Psalme is that David might finde mercie with the Lord for his owne sinnes as any that readeth it may see And that in supplicating to God for grace before and after he should here insert a complaint of his mothers punishment is without any colour of truth But this is the meaning and suteable to his other words that lamenting his actuall transgressions he bewaileth the evill fountaine whence they flowed to weet his natiue corruption which brought forth these ugly trespasses Secondly to let passe how they call Gods fatherly chastisement a curse or punishment they here againe belye the Scripture in saying that the very words in Gen. 3.16 agree with these of Davids For neither the word sin nor iniquitie both which David useth in Psa. 51 are to be found in Gen. 3 16 that Odâ—gos brow may seem to be of brasse vvho shâ—mâ—th not so often and openly to falsifie the text Thirdly it is true that sin and iniquity doe often improperly meane punishment but the proper meaning for fault and guiltinesse is most frequent and whâ—n it signifieth punishment the context manifesteth which it doth not here at all but David before and after bewayleth his sinnes properly Nâ—ither is heere the phrase of bearing sinne and iniquity which is mâ—st usuall when punâ—shment is meant but of being brought forth in iniquity and conceived in sinne and they shâ—w not aâ—y oâ—e place of Scripture vvhere such a phrase signifieth punishment Fourthly as neither sin nor iniquity are used in Gen. 3 16 so the word conception there agreeth not but differeth from the conceiving that David speaketh of in Psal 51 and the difference of the words plainly discovereth these mens ignorance and errour For in Gen. 3 16 Seron is conception with sorrow during the time that the mother goeth with child but in Psal. 51. jacham signifieth conceiving with pleasure for the vvord properly signifieth to be warme or inflamed vvith desire as in the act of generation not of men onely but of cattell also as in Gen. 30 38 39 41. Now nature both of man and beast teacheth all that such conceiving is with delight not with paine and therefore David using such a vvord vvhen he telleth how his mother conceived him cannot in any reasonable mans understanding mean his mothers corporall paines or punisâ—ment as these corrupters of the Scripture doe feigne They proceed and say that David did not sinne in being conceived and borne the soule is the subject of sinne for from the soule or heart commeth wickednesse Mat. 15 19. The soule comes from God the matter of the body from the parents the soule is very good comming from God the body hath not sinned till it be infected with the soule by transgression of a law and seeing thâ—y â—ffirme that the very matter or substance whereof David was made was sinne and that this is it he confessoth in Psal. 51 obserue what will follow â—f this their dream The matter wherof all thâ— sonnes of Adam are made is sinne but Chrâ—st one of the sonnes of Adam after the flâ—sh was made of that matter therefore the matter or suâ—stance of Christs body was sinne If it be wicked to say Christ was a sinner because he was conceived of his mothers suâ—stance as it is so it is no lesse wicked to say David was a sinner because he was conceived of his mothers substance seeing the substance of both the mothers
betray or murther him otherwise then by suffering them Which if they spake in respect of the sinne onely we would grant but being meant of the actions done it is against the expresse Scriptures which say the Iewes tooke and crucified him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Act. 2 23 and that both Gentiles and Israelites were gathered together for to doe whatsoever Gods hand and his counsell predestinated or fore-determined to be done Act. 4 27.28 Now Gods Counsell and Predestination that a thing should be done is more then bare permission and his hand being in it sheweth him to be an agent in this work God out of his loue sent and gaue his Sonne for us Ioh. 3.16.17 it pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to griefe Esay 53.10 and Christ laid down his life of himselfe no man took it from him Ioh. 10.18 he powred out his soule unto death Esa. 53.12 he offered up himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes through the externall Spirit Heb. 7.27 9 14. These and the like sayings in Scripture teach us more of God in Christs death then a bare suffering Gods good hand was in it for our redemption and not onely the wicked hands of them that sinfully crucified him Whereas they tell us Christ might haue beene slaine without sin for God might haue appointed some to sacrifice Christ as he did Abraham to sacrifice Isaak c. They speake too presumptuously in Gods matters Will they teach him an other or a better way to effect his owne purposes then himselfe hath chosen But what would they infer upon it If God had decreed that Christ should haue beene slaine by holy Angels they would not then deny I suppose but God should be an agent in his Sons death Now that God decreed he should be slaine by evill Angels and hands of wicked men and his Decrees and Counsels must stand Psal. 33.11 his predictions must needs be fulfilled Act. 1.16 is he not therfore an agent in Christs death Shall he be restrained from using any of his creatures to doe his good work because they through their owne corruption and malice doe it and cannot but doe it amisse Or shall their mis doing which is in them voluntarie and not caused of God be imputed to him Let men speake and think of God with more sobriety and though our dulnesse cannot comprehend how Gods good hand can be in the evill actions of wicked men he not partaker of their sin yet let us not deny that which God plainly teacheth but rather lay our hand on our mouth and confesse we haue uttered that we understood not things too wonderfull for us which we knew not Iob. 40.4 42 3. The last reason which they pretend to answer is such as dazelleth the adversaries eyes The Scripture saith the Iewes could not beleeue because the Lord he blinded their eyes and hardned their heart that they should not see nor understand and be converted and healed Ioh. 12.39.40 Also the Lord saith I will harden Pharoahs hart and be shall not bearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt c. Exod. 7.3.4 They answer to the first that by comparing Esa. 6.9 Mat. 13.14 c. Act. 28.26 c. it is manifest that they winked with their eyes lest they should see for which cause God gaue them up to that reprobate sense To the latter they answer that Pharaoh hardened his owne heart Exod. 9.34 and God hardened his heart and so the hearts of the wicked by giving them up to Satan who worketh hardnes of heart against God and to their owne hearts hardnes and lusts to vile affections and to reprobate mindes Psal. 81.11.12 Rom. 1.24.26.28 Aâ—sw That the Iewes winked and would not see that Pharoah hardned his own heart and would not let Israel goe is true That for these causes God gaue them up to their owne lusts c. and to Satan is also true Thus farre we agree but to the force of our reason they answer nothing at all For in these works of blinding and hardening there is more then Gods bare permission they did it and God it they sinfully but God righteously justly rewarding their sinne And thus the enemy condemneth himselfe For he that for sin inflicteth punishment doth a good work of justice and suffreth it not onely to be done but God for sin blinded the eyes and hardned the hearts of the Iewes and Aegyptians therefore in blindning and hardening God was a doer as a just Iudge and not a sufferer onely as while ere they pleaded Between these two there is great difference The Greekes tooke Softhâ—nes and beat him before Gallioes judgement seat here Gallio suffered them onely caring for none of those things Act. 18.15.16.17 Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned by the Magistrates commandement Act. 16.22.23 here the Magistrates not onely suffered but were agents also in their beating and imprisoning though they did it by other wicked mâ—ns hands So God when hee commandeth Satan to goe and deceiue or harden wicked sinners 1. King 22.22 wheÌ„ he giveth sinners up to a reprobat mind Rom. 1.24.26 28 then God deceiveth God hardneth in just judgement and doth not onely suffer these things When the Iudge delivereth an evill doer to the Officer the Offiâ—er cast him into prison Luk. 12.58 the Iudge doth this by the Offiâ—er So God is the Iudg he delivereth evil doers to Satan to be their deluder their tormentor their goaler he giveth them up to blindnes hardnes reprobate minds these are works of his justice which Satan and evill men execute most sinfully Christ saith he came into this world for judgement that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind Iob. 9.39 Now in what manner God blindeth and hardneth sinners it is not in man to declare for his judgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 But they that for his judgements would make God the author of sin erre on the one hand and they that ascribe unto him herein but a bare permission erre on the other hand Godlinesse will teach us to beleeue and rest in that which the Scriptures teach though it passe our reach and capacitie how God in his wisedome doth these things Hitherto of Predestination Of Election THEY proceed to speake of election where after they haue set downe as they thinke good themselues what our opinion is they propound their owne doctrine viz. That Christ came to cure all men of their sinnes but with a bitter medicine which is that we must deny our selues take up his crosse and follow him So many as refuse to take this medicine cannot be cured but such as receiue it are cured Again that they are elected who doe put on Christ and that our election dependeth upon this condition according to the Scriptures the Lord chooseth to himselfe a righteous man and they that
was one and the same Answ. It is even a vvonder to bâ—hold how these men pervert erre and slander as if they had sold themselues to vvorke iniquity We teach not as the perversly speake that David sinned in being conceived and borne for these being the workes of God and nature are good But David was a sinner because hee was conceived and borne in sin as himselfe confesseth 2 They erre in saying the soule is the subject of sinne for neither the soule alone nor the body alone but the vvhole man vvhich differeth from both and consisteth of both he is the subject of sinne Neither doth the body vvithout the soule nor the soule without the body commit sinne but the man vvhiles the soule is in the body sinneth 2 Cor. 5 10 and as the soule vvas not created but in the body Zach. 12 1 so vvhen it departeth from the body it sinneth no more but goeth for judgement Heb. 9 27 Eccles. 9 5 6 10. 3 Whereas they alledge that wickednessâ— is from the heart Mat. 15 19 it is spoken of living men consisting of soule and body Madnesse as Salomon saith is in their heart while they liue and after that they goe to the dead Eccles 9 3. And vvhere they say the soule comes from God the matter of the body from the parents they lay not down the truth fully For though the soule is created of God and is not materially from the parents as the body yet the parents giue occasion to infuse the soule for vvithout corporall generation no soule is created and so the soule may in some sort be said to haue the beginning from Adam though not of any matter from him The essence of is of God the subsistance of it is from the parents from vvhom it hath the manner of subsisting in the body 4 Though the soule as it is created of God is very good as the body also respected naturally is good yet they erre in saying the body sinneth not till it be infeâ—ted with the soule by transgression of a law whereby they meane actuall transgression after it knowes the law For first it is not the body but the man of body and soule that sinneth as before is shewed Secondly the body is not infected vvith the soule but both body and soule are infected with sinne to wit that inbred and inhabiting sin vvhich came from Adam as before is proved from Rom. 5. And this sinne man hath both by imputation and inherence before he actually transgresseth the law Rom. 5.14 Psal. 51 for that which is borne of the flesh is flâ—sh Ioh. 3.6.5 They notoriously slâ—nder us that we should affirme the very matter or substance vvherof David vvas made to be sin Wee affirme no such thing The matter or substance we say is good as every creature of God is Sinne is an evill accident cleaving to the substance to the body and soule of man Of like falshood it is that we should affirme David to confesse in Psal 51. that the substance vvhereof he vvas made vvas sin Neither David nor we ever so spake So the Argument vvhich by consequence they frame touching the substance of Christs body that it should be sin is frivolous collected from a fictâ—on of their idle heads For if no mans substance be sinne as we firmly hold much lesse Christs After this they cast a stumbling block in the vvay and vvould haue us shew how infants that haue sinned and are under condemnation of hell can be reconciled to God but onely by faith in Christ Iesus and if they cannot but by repentance and faith then are they all left under condemnation not for any law that thâ—y haue broken but for their father Adams sinne Answ. That all haue sinned and are under condemnation is proved by the Apostle Rom. 5 12 18 how infants can be reconciled to God he also teacheth namely through the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ Rom. 5 15 18. The manner if it be shewed I feare these men vvill not receiue it for they that haue so kicked against the pricks touching all mens fall and sinne in Adam how should they receiue the doctrine of restauration by Christ. Howbeit I will indevour to shew it if it doe no good to them it may to others 1 The faith and repentance vvhich they require in infants namely actuall is not to be found as such actuall sinnes are not found in them as are in older men The one of these exemplifieth the other as the first Adam figured the second Rom. 5 14. By the first Adam vve haue sin Rom. 5 12 offence v. 15 disobedience v. 19 â—udgement v. 16 death v. 14 condemnation v. 16. By the second Adam Christ we haue grace the gift by grace v. 15 the gift of righteousnesse v. 17 the free gift to justification v. 16 even to justification of life v 18. By the first Adam vve haue three evils 1 imputation of his sin 2 corruption of our nature 3 guiltinesse of death temporary and eternall By the second Adam vve haue three opposite good things 1 imputation of his righteousnesse 2 regeneration or renewing of our nature 3 and deliverance from death temporary and eternall As the corruption or viciousnesse that vve haue by Adam is in the bud or spring in the beginning not in the full growth and inclineth us to all actuall sinnes so the regeneration we haue by Christ is in the spring and beginnings thereof vvhen we â—re infants and inclineth us to actuall faith and obedience And thus repentance and faith are in Christian infants in their bud or beginning inclinatiuely even as impenitencie and unbeliefe are in Adams infants in their beginning and by inclination If any man aske vvith Nicodemus how can these things be Let him consider that as he knoweth not the way of the winde or of the spirit or how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child even so he knoweth not the workes of God who maketh all Iob. 3 Eccles. 11 5. Lastly to the many examples of Gods judgements upon infants as at Noes floud the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah c. they answer though they had bodily death for the sinnes of their parents yet they perished not with the wicked in hell For of this bodily death other unreasonable creatures as well as infants haue alwayes had their portions All flâ—sh must die and death is losse to none but to the wickâ—d to the godly and innocent death and all afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shâ—ll be shewed Answ. 1 In that they grant Infants haue bodily death for their parents sinnes they contradict their own plea before from Ezek. 18 20 the soule that sinneth it shall die the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the father c. for there the Prophet speaketh even of bodily death and miseries in this world vvhereof the Iewes complained And unlesse they confessâ— that infants are sinners in