Imatges de pàgina
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of the Father: and he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; 'whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son 'together is worshipped and glorified, who "spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic church; I acknowledge one baptism for the 'remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. i. 21.

Ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself, being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. Ephes. ii. 20, 21.

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts ii, 38. See Arti. cle XXVII, e.

IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin.

'ORIGINAL sin standeth not in the following

Among all the creatures that God made in the beginning of the world most excellent and wonderful in their kind, there was none, as the Scripture beareth witness, to be compared almost in any point unto man; who as well in body as in soul exceeded all other, no less than the sun, in brightness and light, exceedeth every small and little star in the firmament. He was made according to the image and similitude of God; he was endued with all kind of heavenly gifts; he had no spot of uncleanness in him; he was sound and perfect in all parts, both outwardly and inwardly; his reason was uncorrupt, his understanding was pure and good, his will was obedient and godly; he was made altogether like unto God in righteousness, in holiness, in wisdom, in truth; to be short, in all kind of perfection.

But as the common nature of all men is in time of prosperity and wealth to forget not only themselves, but also God; even so did this first man Adam: who having but one commandment at God's hand, namely, that he should not eat of the fruit of knowledge of good and ill, did notwithstanding most unmindfully, or rather most wilfully, break it; in forgetting the strait charge of his Maker, and giving ear to the crafty suggestion of that wicked serpent the devil..

Whereby it came to pass, that as before he was blessed, so now he was accursed; as before he was loved, so now he was abhorred; as before he was most beautiful and precious, so now he was most vile and wretched in the sight of his Lord and Maker: instead of the image of God, he was now become the image of the devil; instead of the citizen of heaven, he was become the bond-slave of hell; having in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness, but being altogether spotted and defiled; insomuch that now he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin, and therefore by the just judgment of God was condemned to everlasting death.

This so great and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had been so much the easier, and might the better have been borne. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity and children for ever; so that the whole brood of Adam's flesh should sustain the self-same fall and punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved. St. Paul, in the fifth chapter to the Romans, saith, "By the offence of only Adam, the fault came

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that (margin, in whom) all

have sinned.-Death reigned even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression.-By one man's offence death

of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,) but 'it is the fault and corruption of the nature of

upon all men to condemnation, and by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." By which words we are taught, that as in Adam all men universally sinned, so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin; that is to say, became mortal and subject unto death, having in themselves nothing but everlasting damnation both of body and soul. "They became," as David saith, corrupt and abominable; they went all out of the way; there was none that did good; no, not one.'

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O what a miserable and woeful state was this, that the sin of one man should destroy and condemn all men-that nothing in all the world might be looked for but only pangs of death and pains of hell! Hom. xxiv. 1.

That heavenly image according to which he was first created, being defaced, in place of wisdom, strength, holiness, truth, and righteousness, the jewels wherewith God had adorned him, there succeeded the most horrible plagues, blindness, weakness, vain-lying, and unrighteousness, in which evils and miseries he also wrapped and overwhelmed his issue and all his posterity. Nowell, p. 39.

Adam was the first parent of mankind: therefore God endued him with those ornaments, to have them or lose them, for him and his, that is for all mankind. So soon as he therefore was spoiled of them, his whole nature was left naked, in penury, and destitute of all good things. So soon as he was defiled with that spot of sin, out of the root and stock corrupted there sprung forth corrupted branches, that conveyed also their corruption into the other twigs springing out of them.-Thence came the horrible blindness of our minds and perverseness of our hearts. Thence came that crookedness and corruptness of all our affections and desires. Thence came that seed-plot, as it were, a sink of all sins, with the faults whereof mankind is affected and tormented. Of which evil, learned Christians that have sought the proper and true name have called it original sin. Nowell, p. 40.

Thus we have heard how evil we be of ourselves, how of ourselves, and by ourselves, we have no goodness, help, or salvation, but contrariwise sin, damnation, and death everlasting. Hom. ii. 2.

reigned by one.-By the offence of one man judgment came upon all men to condemnation. — By one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Rom. v. 12, 14, 17-19. In Adam all die. 1 Cor. xv. 22.

We have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are

all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one, &c. &c.

every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far

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St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours, calling us "the children of the wrath of God," when we be born : saying also, that we cannot think good thought of ourselves." Hom. ii. 1.

All men of their evilness, and natural proneness, be so universally given to sin, that, as the Scripture saith, God repented that ever he made man. Hom, ii. 1.

Dearly beloved, forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin; and that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God, but live in sin, committing many actual transgressions, &c. Liturgy.

"That which is born of the flesh," saith Christ," is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John iii. 6.) As who should say, Man of his own nature is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous.or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds. Hom. xxviii. 1.

In ourselves therefore may we not glory, which of ourselves, are nothing but sinful. Hom. ii. 2. Our pride shall be thereby abated; perceiving nought to come of ourselves but sin and vice. Hom, xxix. ii.

Now we know that what things soever, the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Rom. iii. 9-12, 19. -As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. Prov. xxvii, 19. There is no man that sinneth not. 1 Kings viii. 46. The whole world lieth in wickedness. 1 John v. 19. 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. 1 Cor. ii. 14. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. Rom. i. 22. From within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, &c. Mark vii. 21. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job xiv. 4. Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive mẹ. Ps. li. 5. In my flesh

dwelleth no good thing. Rom. vii. 18. The wicked is estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Ps. Iviii. 3. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James i. 14, 15.

We ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Tit. iii. 3. Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Eph. iv. 22. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John iii. 3. Mor tify your members which are upon the earth. Col iii. 5. How can he be clean that is born of a woman? Job xxv. 4.

• God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many in

gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and there

d For carnal reason, being alway an enemy to God, and not perceiving the things of God's Spirit, doth abhor such precepts, &c. Hom. xxii. 1.

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Being by nature born in sin and the children of wrath. Bap. Service.

By nature we are all subject to damnation, in which state if God do leave us, we have no cause to complain of him. Nowell, p. 14.

ventions. Eccl. vi. 29, All we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way. Isa. liii. 6. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Rom. iii. 23. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart, Gen. vi. 5, 6. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Ps. xiv. 2, 3. Rom. iii. 10, &c. The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. Gen. viii. 21. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer. xvii. 9. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Ephes. iv. 18. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. 1 Cor. iii. 18, 19. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no understanding. Jer. iv. 22. Among whom we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the and were by nature the chil

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dren of wrath even as others. Eph. v. 3. The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, &c. &c. Gal. v. 19— 21. When we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.Sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscenee. Rom. vii. 5, 8. When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. Rom. vi. 20.

d 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. Gal. v. 17. Sin taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. Sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. Rom. vii. 8, 13. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. James iv. 5, 6. Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. 1 Pet. ii. 2. Make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof. Rom. xiii. 14. Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. James i. 15. The old man is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. Eph. iv. 22.

If ye live after the flesh ye shall die: but if ye through the

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