ART. every man according to what he has received. So that VIII. we may believe that fome doctrines are neceffary to falvation, as well as that there are some commandments neceffary for practice; and we may also believe that fome errors as well as fome fins are exclufive of falvation; all which imports no more than that we believe fuch things are fufficiently revealed, and that they are neceffary conditions of falvation; but by this we do not limit the mercies of God towards those who are under such darkness as not to be able to see through it, and to difcern and acknowledge thefe truths. It were indeed to be wifhed, that fome exprefs declaration to this purpose were made by those who have authority to do it: but in the mean while, this being the fenfe in which the words of this Creed are univerfally taken, and it agreeing with the phraseology of the Scripture upon the like occafions, this is that which may be refted upon. And allowing this large explanation of these fevere words, the reft of this Creed imports no more than the belief of the doctrine of the Trinity, which has been already proved, in treating of the former Articles.

As for the Creed called the Apoftles' Creed, there is good reason for speaking fo doubtfully of it as the Article does, fince it does not appear that any determinate Creed was made by them: none of the first writers agree in delivering their faith in a certain form of words; every one of them gives an abstract of his faith, in words that differ both from one another, and from this form. From thence it is clear that there was no common form delivered to all the Churches and if there had been any tradition, after the times of the Council of Nice, of fuch a Creed compofed by the Apoftles, the Arians had certainly put the chief ftrength of their cause on this, that they adhered to the Apostles' Creed, in oppofition to the innovations of the Nicene Fathers: there is therefore no reason to believe that this Creed was prepared by the Apoftles, or that it was of any great antiquity, fince Ruffin was the first that published it: it is true, he published it as the Creed of the Church of Aquileia; but that was fo late, that neither this nor the other Creeds have any authority upon their own account. Great refpect is indeed due to things of fuch antiquity, and that have been fo long in the Church; but, after all, we receive thofe Creeds, not for their own fakes, nor for the fake of thofe who prepared them, but for the fake of the doctrine that is contained in them; becaufe we believe that the doctrine which they declare is contained in the Scriptures, and chiefly that which is the

main intent of them, which is to affert and profefs the ART. Trinity, therefore we do receive them; though we muft VIII. acknowledge that the Creed afcribed to Athanafius, as it was none of his, so it was never established by any General Council.

ARTICLE IX.

Of Original or Birth-Sin.

Driginal Sin ftandeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,) but it is the fault or corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the Offspring of Adam, whereby man is very faz gone from Driginal Righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the Fiech luftech always contzaz to the Spirit, and therefore in every Person born into the Wozld it desezveth God's Wzath and Damnation: And this Infeaion of Nature doth remain, pea in them that are regenerated, whezebp the Luft of the Flesh, called in Greek opóvnua capxòs, which some do expound the Wildom, fome Senfuality, fome the Affeaion, fome the Delize of the Flesh, is not subject to the Law of God. And though there is no Condemnation foz them that believe and aze baptized, per the Apoßtle doth confels, That Concupifcence and Luft hath of itself the natuze of Sin.

AFTER the first principles of the Chriftian religion are

ftated, and the rule of faith and life was fettled, the next thing that was to be done, was to declare the fpecial doctrines of this religion; and that firft with relation to all Chriftians, as they are fingle individuals, for the directing every one of them in order to the working out his own falvation; which is done from this to the nineteenth Article: and then with relation to them as they compofe a fociety called the Church; which is carried on from the nineteenth to the end.

In all that has been hitherto explained, the whole Church of England has been all along of one mind. In this and in fome that follow there has been a greater diverfity of opinion; but both fides have ftudied to prove their tenets to be at least not contrary to the Articles of the Church. Thefe different parties have difputed concerning the decrees of God, and thofe affiftances which pursuant to his decrees are afforded to us. But because

the

IX.

the foundation of thofe decrees, and the neceffity of thofe ART. affiftances, are laid in the fin of Adam, and in the effects it had on mankind, therefore these controverfies begin on this head. The Pelagians and the Socinians agree in faying, that Adam's fin was perfonal: that by it, as being the first fin, it is faid that fin entered into the world: but Rom. v. 12. that as Adam was made mortal, and had died whether he had finned or not; fo they think the liberty of human nature is ftill entire; and that every man is punished for his own fins, and not for the fin of another; to do otherwise, they fay, seems contrary to justice, not to fay, goodness.

In oppofition to this, judgment is faid to have come upon Ver. 15. many to condemnation through one (either man or fin). Death is faid to have reigned by one, and by one man's of fence; and many are faid to be dead through the offence of one. All these paflages do intimate that death is the confequence of Adam's fin; and that in him, as well as in all others, death was the wages of fin, fo also that we die upon the account of his fin. We are faid to bear the image of the first Adam, as true Chriftians bear the image 1 Cor. xv. of the fecond: now we are fure that there is both a deriva- 49. tion of righteoufnefs, and a communication of inward holiness transferred to us through Chrift: fo it seems to follow from thence, that there is fomewhat both tranfferred to us, and conveyed down through mankind, by the firft Adam; and particularly that by it we are all made fubject to death; from which we fhould have been freed, if Adam had continued in his firft ftate, and that by virtue of the Tree of Life: in which fome think there was Gen.iii. 22. a natural virtue to cure all diseases, and relieve against all · accidents, while others do afcribe it to a divine bleffing, of which that tree was only the fymbol or facrament; though the words faid after Adam's fin, as the reason of driving him out of Paradife, left he put forth his hand, and take of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live for ever, seem to import that there was a phyfical virtue in the tree, that could fo fortify and reftore life, as to give immortality. Thefe do alfo think that the threatening made to Adam, that upon his eating the forbidden fruit he should furely die, is to be taken literally, and is to be carried no further than to a natural death. This fubjection to death, and to the fear of it, brings men under a flavish bondage, many terrors, and other paffions and miferies that arife out of it, which they think is a great punishment; and that it is a condemnation and fentence of death paffed upon the whole race; and by this they are made finners, that is, treated as guilty perfons, and severely punished.

L 2

This

ART.
IX.

1 Cor. xv.

21, 22.

In Ep. ad

Rom. paf.

fim.

:

This they think is easily enough reconciled with the notions of justice and goodness in God, fince this is only a temporary punishment relating to men's perfons: and we fee the common methods of Providence, that children are in this fort often punished for the fins of their fathers; moft men that come under a very ill habit of body, tranfmit the feeds of difeafes and pains to their children. They do alfo think that the communication of this liablenefs to death is eafily accounted for; and they imagine, that as the Tree of Life might be a plant that furnished men with an univerfal medicine, fo the forbidden fruit might derive a flow poifon into Adam's body, that might have exalted and inflamed his blood very much, and might, though by a flower operation, certainly have brought on death at the laft. Our being thus adjudged to death, and to all the miferies that accompany mortality, they think may be well called the wrath of God, and damnation fo temporary judgments are often expreffed in Scripture. And to this they add, that Chrift has entirely redeemed us from this, by the promise he has given us of raifing us up at the laft day: and that therefore when St. Paul is fo copiously difcourfing of the Refurrection, he brings this in, that as we have borne the image of the first Adam, who was earthly, fo we fhall alfo bear the image of the heavenly; and fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection from the dead; and that as in Adam all die, fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive; and that this is the univerfal redemption and reparation that all mankind shall have in Chrift Jefus. All this thefe divines apprehend is conceivable, and no more; therefore they put original fin in this only, for which they pretend they have all the Fathers with them before St. Auftin, and particularly St. Chryfoftom and Theodoret, from whom all the later Greeks have done little more than copied out their words. This they do alfo pretend comes up to the words of the Article; for as this general adjudging of all men to die may be called, according to the style of the Scriptures, God's wrath and damnation; fo the fear of death, which arifes out of it, corrupts men's natures, and inclines them to evil.

Others do fo far approve of all this, as to think that it is a part of original fin, yet they believe it goes much farther; and that there is a corruption fpread through the whole race of mankind, which is born with every man. This the experience of all ages teaches us but too evidently; every man feels it in himfelf, and fees it in others. The Philofophers, who were fenfible of it, thought to