CHAPTER XXXIII. THE AUGUSTINIAN THEORY NOT IN THE BIBLE.

In the preceding chapters it is shown that theological creeds and teachings maintain the common‐sense system, and at the same time the contradictory Augustinian system. In other words, it is shown that the Augustinian theologians contradict at once our common sense, our moral sense, and themselves.

It will next be shown that the Augustinian theory _is not contained in the Bible_, and that theologians conflict with each other in regard to this point also.

There is _only one_ passage in the Bible which was ever claimed by _any_ one as teaching a depraved nature _consequent on Adam’s sin_. That passage is Romans v., from the 12th to the 19th verse:

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.

17 For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

18 Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

In this passage these things are taught:

1. By one man sin entered and death by sin, and so [_i.e._, by one man] death passed on all men, _for that all have sinned_.—Verses 12, 13, 14.

2. Through the offense of one many _have died_.—Verse 15.

3. The judgment was by one to condemnation.—Verse 16.

4. By one man’s offense _death_ reigned by one.—Verse 17.

5. By the offense of one, judgment came on all to condemnation.—Verse 18.

6. By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.—V. 19.

There are three modes of interpreting this passage, and the question all turns on whether the _death_ spoken of is _natural_ death or _spiritual_.

Interpretation of the Apostolic Age.

The first interpretation is that of the Apostolic age and onward to the time of Augustine. It is briefly this:

Adam is a type of Christ, and as by Adam’s sin natural death came on all who are his _natural children_, (for they all, like Adam, have _sinned_ and suffer death as the consequence,) so by one man, Christ, spiritual life comes to all who are Christ’s _spiritual children_.

This simply teaches that Adam as the head of a sinning race, who suffer death in consequence of his sin and their own, is an emblem or type of Christ, the head of a holy family, who by him receive spiritual life. Condemnation and natural death come from sinning, both to Adam and to all the children brought into being by him. Justification and spiritual life come from Christ to all whom he has caused to become his spiritual children.

For abundant proof that this was the interpretation of this passage, from the apostles to the time of Augustine, the author refers to Dr. E. Beecher’s _Conflict of Ages_, book v., chapter 2.

Augustinian Interpretation.

The Augustinian interpretation is this: The sin of Adam caused a _depraved nature_ and consequent spiritual death to all his descendants. So also the obedience and death of Christ have purchased or caused a _holy nature_ and spiritual life to all who are regenerated.

Princeton Interpretation.

It has been shown that the Princeton theologians teach, that though all men did not sin _in_ Adam, or sin at all, before they were born, yet God _imputes_ Adam’s sin to them, and _regards_ and _treats_ them _as if_ they had committed it.

Their interpretation of this passage then is briefly this:

As by, or on account of, Adam’s sin a _condemning sentence_ came on all men, so by Christ’s obedience a _sentence of acquittal_ (_i.e._, justification) came on all who are regenerated.

According to these divines, verse 12 does not refer to a depraved _nature_ nor to _actual sin_, but only to the fact that all suffer the penalty for Adam’s sin through all time and eternity, unless they are regenerated. The Princeton school of divines are the most strongly Calvinistic in maintaining the total depravity of man and his entire inability to perform any truly virtuous act previous to regeneration.

Here, then, we have these results:

The Augustinian theory of _the depraved nature_ of man, consequent on Adam’s sin, contradicts the common sense and moral sense of mankind, contradicts the creeds and teachings that contain it, and is not taught in the chief passage in the Bible claimed as teaching it, as interpreted by the whole Christian world in the first four centuries, and by a large body of Calvinistic divines who teach total depravity at the present time.

Whoever, then, denies that this passage of the Bible teaches this doctrine is sustained by the whole Church of the Apostolic ages and by a great body of the highest Calvinistic churches at this day.

There are some other passages that may be referred to as relating to this subject. The first is Romans, chapter ii., 6 to 16:

“Who will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well‐doing, seek for glory, and honor, and immortality; eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first and also of the Gentile; but glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile; for there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when _the Gentiles, which have not the law_, do _by nature_ the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another;) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”

Taken in its connection, the word _nature_, as used in this passage, evidently is used in its primary and chief meaning, to signify the constitutional powers or organization of mind. “The work of the law written in their hearts,” “their conscience also bearing witness;” these are what are referred to when it is said, “the Gentiles do _by nature_ the things contained in the law.” And it is _doing_ those things which secures “glory, honor and peace”—“to the Jew first, and _also to the Gentile_.”

Another passage is Ephesians, ii., 1‐3:

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were _by nature_ the children of wrath, even as others.”

In this passage the apostle is addressing those who in a succeeding verse are told, “remember that ye being in times past _Gentiles_ in the flesh:” this being so, they are those who, the same writer says, “do _by nature_ the things contained in the law.”

The signification of nature in this passage must be _that which is according to ordinary experience_. That is, _according to ordinary experience_ mankind “are children of wrath,” _i.e._, subject to the wrathful penalties of disobedience to the laws of God. But by the influences brought by Christ, “a new life” is secured, which is a life of intelligent and _voluntary_ obedience to law, an obedience which the natural penalties of law could not secure, but which the _knowledge_ and _love_ of God, as manifested by Christ, do secure.

One other text merits attention: 1 Corinthians, chapter ii., 14. “But 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.”

In this passage the “_natural_ man” must signify “man as he is found in our ordinary experience.” The idea evidently intended, is that mankind, as a race, do not understand or obey the truth as it is taught by Christ and the Spirit of God. The fact is affirmed that without Christ and the divine Spirit to aid, man as a race does not come to such knowledge of and obedience to the laws of God as secures eternal life.

In reference to most other texts quoted to prove a depraved _nature_, it will be found that they simply affirm depraved _action_. Men, in the Bible, are described as wrong‐_doers_ by their own wrong _willing or choice_ and not by a depraved _nature_. Sometimes they are said to choose wrong and sometimes right, and their wrong willing no more proves a depraved nature than the right willing proves a holy nature.