First, They fay, Adam was a publick Perfon, and therefore all Men fin- Obj. 1. ned in him, as being in his Loins. And for this they allege that of Rom.

v. 12. Wherefore as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin; and fo Death paffed upon all Men, for that all have finned, &c. Thefe laft Words, fay they, may be tranflated, In whom all have finned.

,

To this I answer: That Adam is a publick Perfon is not denied; Anfw. 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 it will not follow from thence, that Infants, who join not with this Seed, are guilty. As for these Words in the Romans, the Reason of the Guilt there alleged is, For that all have finned. Now no Man is said to sin, unless he actually fin in his own Person; for the Greek Words may very well relate to Dávalos, which is the nearest Antecedent; so that they hold forth, how that Adam, by his Sin, gave an Entrance to Sin in the World; And fo Death entered by Sin, ¿q' wi. 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 Verse, Sin is not imputed, where there is no Law: And since, as is above proved, there is no Law to Infants, they cannot be here included.

Their Second Objection is from Pfalm li. 5. Behold I was shapen in Obj. 2. Iniquity, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me. Hence, they fay, it appears that Infants from their Conception are guilty.

The Anfw.

Sinanswered.

How they infer this Confequence, for my Part I see not. Iniquity and Sin here appears to be far more afcribable to the Parents than to the Child. It is faid indeed, In Sin did my Mother con- Conceived in ceive 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 fhall not bear the Father's Iniquity.

Obj. 3.

Anfw.

Death the

Wages of Sin anfwered.

Obj. 4.

Anfi.

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

Sin.

I answer; That these Things are a Confequence of the Fall, and of Adam's Sin, is confessed; but that that infers necessarily a Guilt in all others that are subject to them is denied. For though 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 Consequent 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 troublesome and painful to them, as all real Punishments for Sin are, that the Apoftle counts it Gain: To me, faith he, to die is Gain, Philip. i. 21.

Some are fo foolish as to make an Objection farther, faying, That if Adam's Sin be not imputed to those who actually have not finned, then it would follow that all Infants are faved.

But we are willing that this fuppofed Absurdity should be the Confequence of our Doctrine, rather than that which it seems our Adverfaries reckon not abfurd, though the undoubted and unavoidable Consequence of theirs, viz. That many Infants eternally perish, not for any Sin of their own, but only for Adam's Iniquity; where we are willing to let the Controversy stop, commending both to the illuminated Understanding of the Chriftian Reader.

This Error of our Adverfaries is both denied and refuted by Zuinglius, that eminent Founder of the Proteftant Churches of Switzerland, in his Book De Baptifmo, for which he is anathematized by the Council of Trent, in the Fifth Seffion. We shall only add this Information: That we confess then that a Seed of Sin is tranfmitted to all Men from Adam, although imputed to none, until by finning they actually join with it; in which Seed he gave Occasion to all to fin, and it is

the

the Origin of all evil Actions and Thoughts in Men's Hearts, ἐφ ̓ ᾧ to wit, favara, as it is in Rom. v. i. e. In which Death all 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 Righteousness and Holiness: Therefore its Seed and its Product is called the Old Man, the Old Adam, in which all Sin is; for which we use this Name to express this Sin, and not that of Original Sin; of which Original Sin no Scripture Phrase the Scripture makes no Mention, and under which invented Phrafe and unfcriptural Barbarism this Notion of Imputed Sin to Infants took Place among Christians.

cause

PRO

& 33. 11.

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

PROPOSITION V.

Ezek: 18. 32. GOD, out of his Infinite Love, who delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner, but that all fhould 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 manifest all Things that are reproveable, Ephef. v. 13. And teacheth all Temperance, Righteousness, and Godliness; and this Light enlighteneth the Hearts of all, for a Time, 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 Universal than the Seed of Sin, being the Purchafe of his Death, who tasted Death for every Man. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Christ all fhall be made alive, 1 Cor. xv. 22.

According to which Principle, or Hypothefis, all the Objections against the Universality of Christ's Death are easily folved; neither is it needful to recur to the Ministry of Angels, and those other Miraculous Means which they fay God ufeth to manifeft the Doctrine and Hiftory of Christ's Paffion unto fuch, who, living in Parts of the World where the outward Preaching of the Gofpel is unknown, have well improved the firft and common

Grace.

Grace. For as hence it well follows, that fome of the Old Philofophers might have been faved, fo alfo may fome, who by Providence are caft into thofe remote Parts of the World where the Knowledge of the Hiftory is wanting, be made Partakers of the Divine Mystery, if they receive, and refift not that Grace, A Ma-1 Cor. 12.7. nifestation whereof is given to every Man to profit withal. This moft certain Doctrine being then received, that there is an Evangelical and Saving Light and Grace in all, the Univerfality of the Love and Mercy of God towards Mankind, both in the Death of his Beloved Son, the Lord Jefus Chrift, and in the Manifeftation of the Light in the Heart, is established and confirmed, against all the Objections of fuch as deny it. Therefore Chrift hath tafted Death for every Man; not only for Heb. 2. 9. all Kinds of Men, as fome vainly talk, but for every Man of all Kinds: The Benefit of whofe Offering is not only extended to fuch who have the diftinct outward Knowledge of his Death and Sufferings, as the fame is declared in the Scriptures, but even unto those who are neceffarily excluded from the Benefit of this Knowledge by fome inevitable Accident; which Knowledge we willingly confefs to be very Profitable and Comfortable, but not abfolutely Needful unto fuch from whom God himself hath withheld it; yet they may be made Parlakers of the Mystery of his Death, though ignorant of the Hiftory, if they fuffer his Seed and Light, enlightening their Hearts, to take Place; in which Light Communion with the Father and the Son is enjoyed; fo as of wicked Men to become holy, and Lovers of that Power, by whofe inward and fecret Touches they feel themfelves turned from the Evil to the Good, and learn to do to others as they would be done by, in which Chrift himself affirms all to be included. As They have then falfly and erroneously Taught, who have denied Chrift to have died for all Men; fo neither have They fufficiently taught the Truth, who affirming him to have died for all, have added the abfolute Neceffity of the

outward