A golden chaine of divine aphorismes written by John Gerhard Doctor of Divinitie and superintendent of Heldburg. Translated by Ralph Winterton fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge

CHAP. IX. Wherein are contained Theolo∣gicall Aphorismes concerning ORIGINALL SINNE, That is, The Fall of our first parents, and the corruption of nature which followed thereupon, and is propagated unto their posteritie. (Book 9)

1 THe first man continued not in the integritie and perfection wherein he was created: and there∣fore it descended not upon his po∣steritie by any right of inheri∣tance.

2 He followed the deceitfull perswasion of the Serpent, and so fell into sinne and the transgressi∣on of Gods commandment.

3 In that naturall Serpent the

infernall Serpent lay lurking.

4 So then the Serpent, which by his subtiltie deceived our first pa∣rents, was disguised: For there was a Divell in the shape of a Ser∣pent.

5 He sets upon the woman first being the weaker, and not to be compared with man for the gift and endowment of wisdome.

6 By a treacherous and deceit∣full question, about the meaning of Gods commandment, he solli∣cits her to a very dangerous kinde of doubting.

7 Outwardly with a faigned voice he propounds a question unto her: Inwardly he wounds her soul with venomous darts, and inspires into her the poison of doubting.

8 Afterwards being grown more audacious and bold by rea∣son of his successe, he turns Eve•• doubting into an open deniall.

9 He accuseth God of Envie

and Malice, being himself more malicious: By a faigned pretence and promise of divine excellency and wisdome he deceived her, be∣ing himself most remote from di∣vine wisdome.

10 The Causes then of our first Fathers fall were, the Devill sedu∣cing, and himself freely and wil∣lingly consenting.

11 We must not in any case make God to have an hand or beare a part in mans fall: because God is good, and the authour of no∣thing but that which is good.

12 As God created man at the first, so it was his will that he should alwaies have continued: And therefore God did not by any secret decree or command force him to fall.

13 God is not the authour of that thing, whereof he is the pu∣nisher and avenger: The iniquitie which he punisheth is not of his

doing. Fulgent. lib. 1. ad Monim.

14 God gave unto man, before his fall, a perfect power that hee might have not fallen; and an entire will that, if he would, he might have had no will to fall: and fur∣ther he added a most severe commi∣nation of death, that so he might have been kept from falling.

15 Man was not created that he should have a will to sinne; and yet he was set in that libertie that he might have a will; but he was also furnished with such light, that, if he would, he might have had no such will.

16 For God hath no need of the righteousnesse of the upright and straight, or the iniquitie of the crooked and perverse. August. 11. de Gen. ad lit. Cap. 7.

17 No perfection is added unto God by his externall works, which are but the prints and footsteps of his inward perfection.

18 Incredulitie and unbelief, ac∣cording to the order that Moses hath set down in his description, was the first sinne of man.

19 As long as the word and faith is retained in the heart, there is no proud swelling or lifting up of ones self against God.

20 Whatsoever was first for or∣der of internall intention: certainly incredulitie was the first sin for or∣der in the act of externall commis∣sion.

21 Neither had the minde of man, being illuminated with such divine light as it was, ever turned away from God by pride, unlesse first it had made a secession or re∣volting from the word.

22 The Apostle denies that A∣dam was deceived. 1. Tim. 2.14. which wee must understand, of the manner and order of being decei∣ved.

23 Though wee should grant

that Adam was not deceived by another; yet he was deceived by himselfe.

25 It is an idle question, to ask whether of the two sinned more grievously, Adam or Eve. They sinned both, unlike indeed for Sex, but alike for Pride. Aug. 11. de Gen. ad lit. cap. 35.

26 The opening of their eyes, which followed immediately up∣on their fall, was nothing else but the sense of their sin, and the sting of a terrified conscience.

27 They saw that they were na∣ked, that is, bestripped of the robe of integritie & innocencie, with which they were invested at their first creation. They knew before their fall that they were naked: but their nakednesse was such as was neither shamefull nor disgracefull.

28 They felt after their fall, that their flesh was incited to lust, and that the law of their members

was shamefully repugnant to the Law of their minde.

28 What great darknesse seized upon their understanding presently after their fall, it is apparant from hence, in that they thought with fig leaves to hide themselves from his sight, whose eyes are much clea∣rer then the sunne.

29 Fain would they have been concealed from him, from whom nothing can be concealed: and hide their flesh from his sight, who is the beholder of the heart. August. 11. de Gen. ad lit. cap. 34.

30 With their blindnesse of minde there was also joyned the trembling of heart: For they were affrighted with the shaking of a leafe; who before were delighted with the presence and conference of God.

31 They are called before Gods Tribunall, or Judgement-seat, and before him their cause is examined:

and so punishment follows close upon their sinne.

32 This sinne of our first pa∣rents corrupted and putrified the humane nature, which was all in them, and no part in any other. Anselm. conc. virg. cap. 2.

33 Adam was, and in him were we all: Adam was undone; and in him are we all undone. Ambros. in cap. 15. Luc.

34 If the parents lands be con∣fiscate, their children lose their in∣heritance.

35 From a corrupted root spring forth evil fruits; from an impure fountain flow forth filthy waters; and of parents which are leprous, children also are begotten which are leprous.

36 Even so, of our first parents being destitute of originall righ∣teousnesse, and infected with the pollution of sinne, such children are begotten as they themselves;

that is, destitute of righteousnesse, and infected with sinne.

37 For Adam begat a sonne: not after the Image of God; but in his own likenesse, that is, corrupted with sinne.

38 The Personall sinne of Adam corrupted his Nature, and the cor∣ruption of Nature is by carnall ge∣neration propagated unto the per∣son of his ofspring.

39 Adam sinned; not as a private man: but as the lump, masse, and head of all mankinde.

40 As his Nature; so likewise the corruption of his Nature is pro∣pagated unto his posteritie: As his sinne; so also the guilt, which is a consequent of his sinne.

41 And this is that which we call Originall sinne: which whoso∣ever they be that deny or extenu∣ate, they detract exceedingly from the grace of God.

42 They which plead so much

for Nature, are enemies unto Grace.

43 Concerning this Originall sin not onely the most cleare oracles of the Holy Ghost beare witnes, but also all Actuall sins, & the grievous weight and burden of divers cala∣mities, and death it self, and like∣wise regeneration which is necessa∣rie for all men towards the attain∣ment of eternall life.

44 Therefore vain and frivo∣lous is that which is said by Pelagi∣us, That sinne came into the world by imitation, not by propagation.

45 For death, which is the wa∣ges of sinne, raigned even over them that had not sinned after the simili∣tude of Adams transgression. Rom. 5.14.

46 And we are by nature the children of wrath and not by imi∣tation, as the Apostle teacheth Ephes. 2.3.

47 This sinne is called Originall

not from the originall of the uni∣versall nature, or the humane na∣ture, but from the originall of eve∣ry person descended from Adam since his fall.

48 Moreover it is called Origi∣nall in reference to Actuall sinnes, whereof it is the common head and fountain.

49 As for the quidditie of the thing, it is not onely the privation of originall righteousnesse, but it is also the position of a vitious qua∣litie, and guilt which is a conse∣quent or follower of them both.

50 Hence it is, that from ou•• parents we are damned before we are born. Bern. in Med. cap. 2. Col. 1190.

51 Evill concupiscence, in which the power and force of originall sinne doth chiefly appeare, is not onely the punishment and cause of sinne, but it is also sinne it self.

52 For there is in it disobedience

and rebellion against the dominion and law of the minde. August. lib. 5. contra Julian. cap. 3.

53 Neither hath the veice of evil concupiscence place in the in∣feriour faculties of the soul onely, but also in the superiour.

54 For the will of a man not yet regenerate is prone to evill and to vanities.

55 Amongst the works of the flesh these are reckoned, Heresies, Idolatrie, Strife, Variance, &c. Gal. 5.20.

56 From whence we may ga∣ther evidently, That the Flesh is to be taken for the whole man, such as he is since the fall without the grace of God and regeneration.

57 By Originall sinne the whole nature of man was most intimate∣ly and inwardly corrupted: But yet we must distinguish between the vice, and the very substance of man. For the substance of man is the

good work of God and Nature.

58 Sinne is an evil Adjunct, or evil present with me, saith S. Paul Rom. 7.21. Therefore it is not any thing consisting or subsisting of it self.

59 Men are conceived in sinne: Therefore they are not very sinne itself.

60 The whole man is the subject of originall sin, with all the pow∣ers of the soul and members of the body.

61 Originall righteousnesse was not onely an equall and just tempe∣rament of the body, but also a re∣ctitude of all the powers of the soul, and an intrinsecall orna∣ment.

62 So Originall sinne, which succeeded in the place of origi∣nall righteousnesse, is not any dis∣eased qualitie of body, but an in∣fection of all the powers of the soul.

63 For, Habit and Privation are to be considered with reference to the same Subject.

64 This evil is propagated by carnall generation.

65 Therefore Man since the fall, is flesh, because he is born of flesh. John 3.6. He is by nature the childe of wrath. Ephes. 2.3. By being born then he contracts sinne, for which he becomes the childe of wrath.

66 Whosoever therefore are born of parents according to car∣nall generation, are also guilty of originall sinne.

67 Therefore even the children of the faithfull, and those that are born again, bring this originall sinne and pollution with them in∣to this world.

68 For it is Regeneration, and not Generation that maketh Chri∣stians. August. 3. de peccat. merit. & remiss. cap. 9.

69 Men are made, and not born Christians. Tertull. in Apol. cap. 17.

70 Onely He was born with∣out sinne, who without the seed of man was conceived by the Holy Ghost in the wombe of the Vir∣gin.

71 He is not infected with the pollution of sinne, who was born holy and sanctified from the san∣ctified wombe of the Virgin.

72 To the participation of this priviledge and dignitie (that is, To be free from Originall sinne) we do not admit the blessed Vir∣gin herself.

73 We say, That the glorious Virgin Mary conceived by the Holy Ghost; not, That she was con∣ceived by the Holy Ghost: We say, That a Virgin brought forth; not, That she was brought forth of a Virgin. Bern. Epist. 174. ad Lugdun.

74 Some effects of Originall

sinne are onely punishments: some are both punishments and sinnes.

75 Punishments are both Tem∣porall and Eternall: as sundry ca∣lamities, innumerable swarms of diseases, temporall death, the wrath of God, & eternall damna∣tion.

76 Punishments and sinnes both, are evil motions of concupiscence, damnable desires of the heart, and an heap of actuall sinnes.

77 The pravitie of originall sinne draws us headlong into vice▪ Cassiodor. in Psalm. 118.

78 The number of these actu∣all sinnes, are in respect of us al∣together numberlesse. For who can understand his errours? Psalm. 19.12.

79 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth all those that beleeve, from all sinne, both Originall and Actuall. 1. John 1.7.

80 With which we are sprin∣kled

in Baptisme, which is there∣fore called the holy and saving la∣ver, or the washing of regeneration. Tit. 3.5.

81 Unto which Regeneration, Renovation, or renewing, is added as an inseparable companion: though it be not altogether absolute and perfect in this life.

82 For if there were a perfect renewing in Baptisme, then would not the Apostle say, That the in∣ward man is renewed dayly. Aug. 2. de peccat. merit. & remiss. cap. 7.

83 Knowing therefore the ex∣treme corruption of our nature, let us send up our prayers and sighs unto Christ our Physician, to re∣new us every day more and more, till at length we be perfectly re∣newed in the life to come which is eternall.