of Election

fprings

from Self

love.

Is it not strange then, that Men should entertain an Opinion fo abfurd in it felf, and fo cruel and contrary to the Nature, as well of God's Mercy, as Juftice; concerning which the Scripture is altogether filent? But it is manifeft, that Man hath invented this Opinion out of Self-love, and from that bitter Root from which all Errors fpring; for the The abfo- moit Part of Proteftants that hold this, having (as lute Decree they fancy) the Abfolute Decree of Election to fecure them and their Children, fo as they cannot mifs of Salvation, they make no Difficulty to fend all others, both Old and Young, to Hell. For whereas Selflove (which is always apt to believe that which it delires) poffeffeth them with an Hope, that their Part is fecure; they are not follicitous, how they leave their Neighbours, which are the far greater Part of Mankind, in thefe Inextricable Difficulties. The Papifts again ufe this Opinion, as an Art to augment the Efteem of their Church, and Reverence of its Sacraments; feeing they pretend, it is washed away by Baptifm; only in this they appear to be a little more Merciful, in that they fend not these Unbaptized Infants to Hell, but to a certain Limbus; concerning which the Scriptures are as filent, as of the other. This then is not only not Authorised in the Scripture, but contrary to the express Tenor of it, The Apostle faith plainly, Rom. iv. 15. Where 110 Law is, there is no Tranfgreffion: And again, v. 13. But Sin is not imputed, where there is no Law. Than which Teftimonies, there is nothing more pofitive; To Infants fince to Infants there is no Law, feeing as fuch, they there is no are utterly uncapable of it; the Law cannot reach Tranfgreffi- any but fuch as have, in fome Measure, lefs or more,

Law, fo no

OD.

the Exercise of their Understanding, which Infants
have not. So that from thence I thus argue:

Sin is imputed to none, where there is no Law.
But, to Infants there is no Law:

Therefore, Sin is not imputed to them.

"The

The Propofition is the Apostle's own Words; the Affumption is thus proved:

Thofe, who are under a Phyfical Impoffibility of either hearing, knowing, or understanding any Law, where the Impoffibility is not brought upon them by any Act of their own, but is according to the ve ry Order of Nature appointed by God; to fuch there is no Law.

But Infants are under this Phyfical Impossibility:
Therefore, &c.

Secondly, What can be more pofitive, than that of Ezek. xviii. 20. The Soul that finneth, it shall die: The Son fball not bear the Father's Iniquity? For the Prophet here firft fheweth, what is the Cause of Man's Eternal Death, which he faith, is his Sinning: and then, as if he purposed exprefly to shut out fuch an Opinion, he affures us, The Son fhall not bear the Father's Iniquity. From which I thus argue:

not Adam's

If the Son bear not the Iniquity of his Father, or Infants bear of his immediate Parents, far lefs fhall he bear the TranfgreffiIniquity of Adam.

But the Son fhall not bear the Iniquity of his Fa

ther:

Therefore, &c.

J. V. Having thus far fhewn how abfurd this Opinion is, I fhall briefly examine the Reasons its Authors bring for it.

on.

Firft; They fay, Adam was a publick Perfon, and Obje&. Li therefore all Men finned in him, as being in his Loins. And for this they alledge that of Rom. v. 12. Wherefore as by one Man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin; and fo Death paffed upon all Men, for that all bave finned, &c. These last Words, fay they, may be tranflated, In whom all have finned.

To this I anfwer: That Adam is a publick Per- Anfo. fon, is not denied; and that through him there is a Seed of Sin propagated to all Men, which in its own Nature is finful, and inclines Men to Iniquity; yet will it not follow from thence, that

Infants,

Obje&t. II.

in Sin, anfwered.

Infants, who joyn not with this Seed, are guilty. As for these Words in the Romans, the Reafon of the Guilt there alledged, is, For that all have finned. Now no Man is faid to fin, unless he actually fin in his own Perfon; for the Greek Words ep' may very well relate to bavaros, which is the nearest Antecedent; fo that they hold forth, how that Adam, by his Sin, gave an Entrance to Sin in the World: And fo Death entred by Sin, ¿q' i. e. upon which [viz. Occafion] or, in which [viz. Death] all others have finned, that is, Actually in their own Perfons; to wit, all that were capable of finning: Of which Number that Infants could not be, the Apostle clearly fhews by the following Verfe, Sin is not imputed, where there is no Law: And fince, as is above proved, there is no Law to Infants, they cannot be here included.

Their fecond Objection is from Pfalm li. 5. Bebold, I was shapen in Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Hence, they fay, it appears, that Infants from their Conception are guilty.

How they infer this Confequence, for my Part, I fee not. The Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more Afcribable to the Parents, than to the Conceived Child. It is faid indeed, In Sin did my Mother conceive me; not, My Mother did conceive me a Sinner. Befides, that, fo interpreted, contradicts exprefly the Scripture before-mentioned, in making Children guilty of the Sins of their immediate Parents, (for of Adam there is not here any Mention) contrary to the plain Words, The Son fball not bear the Father's Iniquity.

Obje&t. III.

Death, the

Thirdly, They object, That the Wages of Sin is Death; and that feeing Children are fubject to Difeafes and Death, therefore they must be guilty of Sin.

I anfwer: That thefe Things are a Confequence of the Fall, and of Adam's Sin, is confelfed; but Wages of That that infers neceffarily a Guilt in all others, Sin, anfwer that are fubject to them, is denied. For though

cd.

the

the whole outward Creation fuffered a Decay by Adam's Fall, which groans under Vanity; according to which it is faid in Job, That the Heavens are not clean in the Sight of God; yet will it not from thence follow, that the Herbs, Earth, and Trees, are Sinners.

Next, Death, though a Confequent of the Fall, incident to Man's Earthly Nature, is not the Wages of Sin in the Saints, but rather a Sleep, by which they pass from Death to Life; which is fo far from being troublefom and painful to them, as all real Punishments for Sin are, that the Apostle counts it Gain: To me, faith he, to die is Gain, Philip. i.

21.

Some are fo foolish, as to make an Objection far-qbjea. IV. ther, faying; That if Adam's Sin be not imputed to thofe who actually have not finned, then it would follow, that all Infants áréfavéd.

But we are willing, that this fuppofed Abfurdity Answi fhould be the Confequence of our Doctrine; rather than that, which (it feems) our Adverfaries reckon not Abfurd, though the undoubted and unavoidable Confequence of theirs; viz. That many Infant's eternally perifb; not for any Sin of their own, but only for Adam's Iniquity: Where we are willing to let the Controverfy ftop, commending both to the Illuminated Understanding of the Chriftian Reader.

This Error of our Adverfaries, is both denied and refuted by Zuinglius, that Emiment Founder of the Proteftant Churches of Switzerland, in his Book De Baptifmo; for which he is Anathematiz'd by the Council of Trent, in the Fifth Seffion. We fhall only add this Information: That we confefs then, that a Seed of Sin is tranfmitted to all Men, from Adam, (although imputed to none, until by finning they actually joyn with it) in which Seed he gave Occafi on to all to Sin; and it is the Origin of all evil Actions and Thoughts in Men's Hearts, p' to wit, aváry, as it is in Rom. v. 12. i. e. In which Death all O

bave

have finned. For this Seed of Sin is frequently called Death in the Scripture, and the Body of Death; feeing indeed it is a Death to the Life of Righteoufnefs and Holiness: Therefore its Seed, and its Product, is called the Old Man, the Old Adam, in which all Sin is; for which Caufe we use this Name Original Sin to express this Sin, and not that of Original Sin; of 10 Scripture which Phrafe the Scripture makes no Mention, and under which invented and unfcriptural Barbarifm, this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took Place among Chriftians.

hrafe.

§ 1. and 35.

PROPOSITIONS V and VI.

Concerning the UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION by
Chrift, and alfo the SAVING and SPIRITUAL
LIGHT, wherewith every Man is enlightned.

PROPOSITION V.

Ezek. 18. GOD, out of his Infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but that all should live and be faved, hath fo loved the World, that he hath given his only Son a Light, that whofoever believeth in him fhall be faved, John iii. 16. Who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the World, John i. 9. And maketh manifeft all Things, that are reprovable, Ephef. v. 13. And teacbeth all Temperance, Righteousness, and Godlinefs. And this Light lighteneth the Hearts of all, in a Day, in order to Salvation; and this is it, which reproves the Sin of all Individuals, and would work out the Salvation of all, if not refifted. Nor is it lefs Univerfal, than the Seed of Sin, being the Purchafe of his Death, who tafted Death for every Man. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift all shall be made alive, I Cor. xv. 22.

PRO.