Articles 9–18 relate
to sin & salvation. A coherent package.
Article 9: Of Original or Birth Sin
Original
sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk;)
but it is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally
is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from
original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the
flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore in every person born
into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of
nature doth remain, yea in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the
flesh, called in Greek phronema sarkos (which some do expound the
wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire, of the flesh), is
not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them
that believe and are baptized [Latin: renatis
et credentibus = regenerated (born again) and believing]; yet the Apostle
doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.
Adam didn’t just set
us a bad example. Pelagius – British Celtic theologian monk who taught in Rome
late 4th and early 5th C – some of his ideas revived by
some radical protestants.
Not just that we
commit sins but that we are sinners – we have a sinful nature – the necessity
of new birth – Jn 3:7. Unfair? But we inherit all that we are from our parents.
Note article 15 on
Christ’s sinlessness
Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor
15:21-22
Universal human
sinfulness: Gen 8:21; Ps 14:1-3; Ecc 7:20; Is 53:6; Rm 3:23; Eph 2:3
Cf. BCP General
Confession
The flesh lusting
contrary to the Spirit – Gal 5:17; Rom 7:2-25
Wrath – holy anger,
God’s settled opposition to evil, not flying off the handle, God takes sin,
righteousness and injustice seriously
“Phronema” = mind
set / way of thinking . “Sarkos” = flesh, sometimes translated “sinful nature”.
Draws on Rom 8:6-7
“Concupiscence” –
lust / desire – though note not a sin to be tempted
Rm 6:12; 7:7; Col
3:5
Disagreeing with the
RC Council of Trent decree concerning original sin (June 1546)
No perfect Christians
- a civil war in believers between the sinful nature and the Spirit - a
conflict with sin is not a sign that you are not a Christian but that the
Spirit is at work in you. The unconverted are sometimes happy with / oblivious
to their sin. The more holy we are the more conscious we may be of sin.
Article 10: Of Free Will
The condition of
Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by
his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God. Wherefore
we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the
grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working
with us, when we have that good will.
Title of the article a bit misleading? Again against some
radical protestants.
“Preventing” = going before – preceding, echoes Ps 59:10
Cf. BCP Collect for Easter Day & 9th
Sunday after Trinity
Slaves to sin – Jn 8:34
Jn 6:44; 15:16; Acts 16:14; Rm 7:14-25; 10:20; Gal
3:10-23; Eph 2:10; 4:17-32
Co-operating grace – Jn 15:4-5; 1 Cor 15:10; Gal 2:20;
Phil 2:12-13
Quote Bray p68f
Article 11: Of the Justification of Man
We
are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that
we are justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of
comfort, as more largely expressed in the Homily of Justification.
Draws on the ideas of human sinfulness in Articles
9 and 10.
Justified = vindicated, declared not guilty /
accounted righteous (righteous and justified are the same word in NT Greek). Justification
by faith alone / by faith only. Good works not the meritorious
grounds of salvation – salvation is an unearned gift of grace received by
faith. Even faith itself is a gift which God works in us not a meritorious good
work. The repentant thief on the cross a striking example of salvation by faith
alone apart from works. Justification by faith alone gives the believer
assurance of salvation without pride.
Romans 1:16-19;
3:21-5:9; 9:30-10:13; Gal 2:16, 20-3:29; Eph 2:8-9; Col 1:21-23; Phil 3:2-11
“The Homily on Justification”= Cranmer’s homily “Of
the salvation of mankind” in 1st book of homilies.
Cf. RC view that we need to be further sanctified
in purgatory before we can go to heaven
Article
12: Of Good Works
Albeit
that Good Works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification,
cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; yet are
they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of
a true and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as
evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruit.
Against those (including RC church) who claimed
that justification by faith alone made good works unimportant and gave licence
to sin. Good works follow from faith and salvation, they don’t earn or deserve
salvation. Good works are a result of God working in us. Though not perfect,
the good works of Christians are genuinely pleasing to God.
James 2:14-26 – real faith works. “Faith without
works” would be a dead, unreal faith.
“justification is by faith alone, but real faith is
not alone”, it is always accompanied by good works. Tree & fruit refers to
Mt 12:33. Rom 12:1-21; Eph 2:8-10
Article
13: Of Works before Justification
Works
done before the grace of Christ, and the Inspiration of the Spirit, are not
pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither
do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the School-authors say) deserve
grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed
and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.
“School-authors” scholastic theologians of the
Western church in the Middle Ages – from about 1100 onwards – scholastics
include Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Peter Lombard, Gabriel Biel,
Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Thomas Aquinas
Ps 51; Jn 15:4-5; Heb 11:6; Rm 6:1-23; 14:23; Eph
2:1-3, 11-12; Is 64:6
Article
14: Of Works of Supererogation
Voluntary
Works besides, over and above, God's Commandments, which they call Works of
Supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men
do declare, that they not only render unto God as much as they are bound to,
but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas
Christ saith plainly, "When ye have done all that are commanded to you,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants.'"
Supererogation – to pay over and above what is
required. Against the RC idea that this supposed “extra merit” e.g. of the
Saints could be passed on to others e.g. through indulgences to reduce time in
purgatory. Luther had protested after Pope Leo X offered indulgences to those
who contributed towards the building of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome in 1517. The
quote at the end is from Luke 17:10. Cf. Jesus’ summary of the law. How is it
possible to love God with more than all our heart etc.? We owe God everything
so we can’t overpay.
Josh 1:7; Mk 7:7; 9:7; Mt 5:19; 28:20; Jn 10:27;
Col 2:20-23; 1 Tim 4:1-5; Gal 1:8; 2:17-21; 2 Tim 3:16-17.
See RC Catechism para 1477-8 on the treasury of
merit and indulgences
Article
15: Of Christ alone without Sin
Christ
in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things, sin only
except, from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh, and in his spirit.
He came to be the Lamb without spot, who, by sacrifice of himself once made,
should take away the sins of the world; and sin (as Saint John saith) was not
in him. But all we the rest, although baptized, and born again in Christ, yet
offend in many things; and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us.
Probably opposing some radical protestants who
claimed sinlessness. See also Article 2, 9, 16, 27. Sinless humanity of Christ
- Heb 2:17; 4:15; Jn 8:46; Act 3:14; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pt 2:22; Mt 4:1-11; Lk
4:1-13. Jesus the lamb without spot - Heb 9:14; 1 Pt 1:19; Jn 1:29. Quotes from
1 John 3:5 and later from James 3:2 and 1 John 1:8.
Rm 5:12-21; 7:7-25; Gal 3:10-14
Cf. The RC doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of
Mary – Mary preserved immune from all stain of original sin in the splendour of
an entirely unique holiness. “By the grace of God Mary remained free of every
personal sin her whole life long” – Catechism 491-3
Article
16: Of Sin after Baptism
Not
every deadly sin willingly committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy
Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not be denied to
such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we
may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may
arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which
say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of
forgiveness to such as truly repent.
Again against some radical protestants though
Origen (c. 184–254) and the Novatians (3rd C-) also taught
that post-baptismal sin was unforgivable. Sin against the Holy Spirit – Mt
12:31-37, Mk 3:28-30; Lk 12:10 - continual resistance of the work of the Spirit
in rejecting Christ – unpardonable because Christ is the means of forgiveness. Jer
4:1; Is 55:7; Hos 6:1; Lk 15:11-32; 2 Cor 2:5-11; 1 Jn 2:1-17
Cf. The Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of
the saints, that is, that true believers continue in the faith, “once saved,
always saved”
Article
17: Of Predestination and Election
Predestination
to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of
the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to
deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of
mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made
to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God,
be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they
through Grace obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of
God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only- begotten Son Jesus
Christ: they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy,
they attain to everlasting felicity.
As
the godly consideration of Predestination, and our Election in Christ, is full
of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel
in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the
flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and
heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith
of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently
kindle their love towards God: So, for curious and carnal persons, lacking the
Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's
Predestination, is a most dangerous downfall, whereby the Devil doth thrust
them either into desperation, or into wrethchlessness of most unclean living,
no less perilous than desperation.
Furthermore,
we must receive God's promises in such wise, as they be generally set forth to
us in Holy Scripture: and, in our doings, that Will of God is to be followed,
which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God.
Cf. God’s choice of Israel in OT times for the sake
of the nations. God is king – the sovereignty of God in all things, including
salvation. Entailed by human sinfulness and salvation entirely the work of God
and by grace alone – otherwise no one saved or we have something to boast about.
All the glory goes to God for salvation; all the blame for damnation rests on
those who are lost. Predestination does not undo human responsibility.
God does not choose people because of anything in
them but by sheer grace – Dt 7:6-8; Rm 9:14-18. Rom 8:28-30, 9:6-13; Eph 1:4-5,
11-12
God does not force salvation on people against
their will. Rather, he changes their hearts so that they choose him. A kind of
“free will”: “liberty of spontaneity” (we make real choices and do what we
want) rather than “liberty of indifference” (we make “free” choices between
alternatives and might have chosen otherwise). Do we ever have “liberty of
indifference” given the way nature and nurture shape us?
Why doesn’t God choose everyone / some more people?
– Rom 9:19-24
God’s secret counsel - Dt 29:29
The amazing thing from a Bible point of view is
that any sinners are saved not that some are lost.
“Wretchlessness” = recklessness – just sin because
it can’t affect your salvation
Article
18: Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ
They
also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved
by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his
life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth
set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.
Again against some radical protestants. Quotes Acts 4:12.
Jn 3:36; 14:1-13; Acts 17:16-34; 1 Cor 3:11; 1 Cor 15:1-2; Gal 1:8-9; 1 Tim
2:1-7; Rm 2:12-16.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment