by Robert Barclay

“ If from his rational, then it is not only the animal, but also the rational, as he is yet in the natural state, which the apostle excludes here, and whom he contra-distinguisheth from the spiritual, verse 15. But the spiritual man judgeth all things. This cannot be said of any man merely because rational or as he is a man, seeing the men of the greatest reason, if we may so esteem men, whom the scripture calls wise, as were the Greeks of old, not only may be, but often are, enemies to the kingdom of God ”

“ Others again will needs run into another extreme, (to whom Augustine, among the ancients, first made way in his declining age, through the heat of his zeal against Pelagius,) not only confessing man incapable of himself to do good, and prone to evil; but that in his very mother's womb, and before he commits any actual transgression, he is contaminate with a real guilt, whereby he deserves eternal death: in which respect they are not afraid to affirm, That many poor infants are eternally damned, and forever endure the torments of hell. ”

“ Whence we conclude, with good reason, that the nature here spoken of, by which the Gentiles are said to have done the things contained in the law, is not the common nature of men; but that spiritual nature that ariseth from the works of the righteous and spiritual law that is written in the heart. I confess they of the other extreme, when they are pressed with this testimony by the Socinians and Pelagians, as well as by us when we use this scripture, to show them how some of the heathens, by the light of Christ in their heart, came to be saved, are very far to seek ”

“ First, There is every imagination of the thoughts of his heart; so that this admits of no exception of any imagination of the thoughts of his heart. Secondly, Is only evil continually; it is neither in some part evil continually, nor yet only evil at some times; but both only evil, and always and continually evil; which certainly excludes any good, as a proper effect of man's heart, naturally: for that which is only evil, and that always, cannot of its own nature produce any good thing. ”

“ The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the father's iniquity. For the prophet here first showeth what is the cause of man's eternal death, which he saith is his sinning; and then, as if he purposed expressly to shut out such an opinion, he assures us,The son shall not bear the father's iniquity. From which I thus argue:
[Infants bear not Adam's transgression.] If the son bear not the iniquity of his father, or of his immediate parents, far less shall he bear the iniquity of Adam. ”

“ That Adam is a public person is not denied; and that through him there is a seed of sin propagated to all men, which in its own nature is sinful, 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 sinned. Now no man is said to sin, unless he actually sin in his own person ”

“ I answer, this nature must not, neither can be understood of man's own nature, which is corrupt and fallen; but of the spiritual nature, which proceedeth from the seed of God in man, as it receiveth a new visitation of God's love, and is quickened by it: which clearly appears by the following words, where he saith, These not having a law (i.e.) outwardly, are a law unto themselves; which shows the work of the law written in their hearts. These acts of theirs then are an effect of the law written in their hearts ”

“ Now whether it be any ways probable that either these wise men that are said to account the gospel foolishness, are only so called with respect to their animal property, and not their rational; or that the wisdom that is foolishness with God is not meant of the rational, but only the animal property, any rational man, laying aside interest, may easily judge. ”

“ Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood ”

“ Man therefore, as he is in this state, can know nothing aright; yea, his thoughts and conceptions, concerning God and things spiritual, until he be disjoined from this evil seed, and united to the Divine Light, are unprofitable both to himself and others. Hence are rejected the Socinian and Pelagian errors, in exalting a natural light; as also of the Papists, and most Protestants, who affirm, That man, without the true grace of God, may be a true minister of the gospel. [1] Nevertheless, this seed is not imputed to infants, until by transgression they actually join themselves therewith ”

“ Again, the assumption shows clearly, that the apostle had no such intent, as these men's gloss would make him have, viz. So the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. According to their judgment he should have said, The things of God knoweth no man by his animal spirit, but by his rational spirit: for to say, the Spirit of God, here spoken of, is no other than the rational spirit of man, would border upon blasphemy, since they are so often contra-distinguished. ”

“ So that, though we do not ascribe any whit of Adam's guilt to men, until they make it theirs by the like acts of disobedience; yet we cannot suppose that men, who are come of Adam naturally, can have any good thing in their nature, as belonging to it ”

“ He seemeth to be particularly careful to avoid that any good should be ascribed to the natural man; he shows how he is polluted in all his ways; he shows how he is void of righteousness, of understanding, of the knowledge of God ”

“ But it is manifest that man hath invented this opinion out of self-love, and from that bitter root from which all errors spring; for the most part of Protestants that hold this, having, as the fancy, the absolute decree of election to secure them and their children, so as they cannot miss of salvation, they make no difficulty to send all others, both old and young, to hell. ”

“ While some do so far exalt the light of nature, or the faculty of the natural man, as capable of himself, by virtue of the inward will, faculty, light, and power, that pertains to his nature, to follow that which is good, and make real progress towards heaven: And of these are the Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians of old ”

“ For whereas self-love, which is always apt to believe that which it desires, possesseth them with an hope that their part is secure, they are not solicitous how they leave their neighbours, which are the far greater part of mankind, in these inextricable difficulties. ”

“ Secondly, The apostle throughout this chapter shows how the wisdom of man is unfit to judge of the things of God, and ignorant of them. Now I ask these men, whether a man be called a wise man from his animal property, or from his rational? ”

“ 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 Christian reader. ”