3. The negative and positive side of the Original Corruption.
The Holy Scriptures describe hereditary corruption not only as a defect, that is, as a lack of righteousness, but also as an evil desire (concupiscentia), that is, as the competent inward judgment of evil, Gal. 5:17 : Ή σαρξ έπΐ'ϑυμει κατά του πνεύματος; Rom. 7:23: νόμος άντιστρατενόμενος τω νόμφ τον νοός. Both sides are mentioned in the 2nd article of the Augustana, where it says in the description of original sin: Omnes homines secundum naturam propagati
657 ><w:t xml:space="preserve"> Original sin. [English ed. 547-9]
nascuntur cum peccato, hoc est, sine metu et fiducia erga Deum et cum concupiscentia. [Google] In so far as the original sinful corruption is concupiscentia, we can also call it something positive.1604) On the other hand, original sin is not something positive in the sense of substance, if by substance we understand substantia materialis, quae proprie subsistit, that is, a thing that exists for itself or has its own separate existence. If we distinguish between substance and accidence in such a way that by substance we understand a thing that exists for itself, but by accidence something that adheres to another thing as a separable property, then hereditary corruption is certainly to be called an accidence, because human nature is God's creature even after the fall and as God's creature is good in itself and remains good. This is to be held against any form of Manichaism insofar as it assumes two substances, one good and one evil. 1605)
1604) The Apology (80, 15 ff. [Trigl. 43, 1b 🔗]) takes in detail that the original sin includes both, not only the lack of the original right nature of human nature, but also the evil desire (concupiscentia) that took the place of the right nature. Nos igitur recte [in the 2nd article of the Augustana] [Trigl. 111, 26 f. 🔗] expressimus utrumque in descriptione peccati originalis, videlicet defectus illos: non posse Deo credere, non posse Deum timere ac diligere; item, habere concupiscentiam, quae carnalia quaerit contra Verbum Dei, hoc est, quaerit non solum voluptates corporis, sed etiam sapientiam et iustitiam carnalem, et confidit his bonis, contemnens Deum. The same, adds The Apology, was taught not only by ancient but also by more recent teachers "who had some understanding" (cordatiores). So also does the Scripture teach: Nam Paulus interdum expresse nominat defectum, ut 1 Cor. 2:14: "Animalis homo non percipit ea, quae Spiritus Dei sunt." Alibi (Rom. 7:5) concupiscentiam nominat efficacem in membris et parientem malos fructus. [Google] The Apology also takes Luther's doctrine of hereditary corruption to the slanders of the papists: Semper ita scripsit [Lutherus], quod baptismus tollat reatum peccati originalis (the hereditary sin), etiamsi materiale, ut isti vocant, peccati maneat, videlicet concupiscentia. [Google]This agrees with Augustine when the latter says: Peccatum in baptismo remittitur, non ut non sit, sed ut non imputetur. The Apology also proves how strong the positive character of the original sinful corruption is from the fact that this corruption belongs to the punishment (poena) that God took from Adam's fall. Human nature is given over to the tyranny of the devil, who holds it captive in his kingdom and now dementat impiis opinionibus et erroribus et impellit ad omnis generis peccata.
1605) The Formula of Concord expresses this in its first article, "On Original Sin," p. 519 f. [Trigl. 779, 2 ff. 🔗]: "For not only Adam's and Eve's body and soul before the Fall, but also our body and soul after the Fall,
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On the other hand, it must be noted against Pelagianism and synergism that the original sinful corruption is such an accidens, whereby human nature is completely corrupted, that is, incapable of all spiritual good and inclined to all evil. Rom. 7:18: "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing." It is also to be noted that original sinful corruption attaches itself to human nature in such a way that it cannot be separated from human nature again by any human power and effort, but only by the effect of divine grace and omnipotence for Christ's sake, Rom. 8:3: το αδύνατον τον νόμον. The Formula of Concord summarizes this thus:1606) "We believe, teach, and confess, in turn, that original sin is not a bad (levis), but such deep corruption of human nature that nothing healthy or undecayed remains in the body and soul of man, his inward and outward powers, but as we sing in the church: 'By Adam's fall is all human nature and being corrupted'? What pity unspeakable, not by reason, but from God's Word alone may be known, and that nature and such corruption of nature no one can separate but God alone." Therefore, the first article of the Formula of Concord is admittedly prompted by Flacius' perverse and stubbornly defended expression that the original sin of fallen man is substance. At the same time this article is also opposed to the Pelagianism, Semipelagianism and Synergism of Strigel and all Philippists.1607)
regardless of their corruption, God created, which God also still recognizes as His work, as it is written in Job 10: 'Your hands have worked me and made all that I am about and around.'" To suppose that human nature as such, or according to its substance, is sin, would contravene the articles of the Christian faith of creation, redemption, sanctification, and resurrection. For Christ took our human nature, though without sin, yet according to its nature or substance as his work, also redeemed it as his work, also sanctified it as his work, also raised it from the dead and adorned it gloriously as his work. But the original sin he has not taken, not redeemed, not sanctified, will also not awaken it in the elect, neither decorate nor make them saved, but it will be completely eradicated in the resurrection.
1606) M., pp. 520, 8-10 [Trigl. 781, 8-10 🔗]
1607) This is clear from the antitheses p. 520 f., 1-6. [Trigl. 781, 11-16 🔗] Cf. Carpzov's judgment on Flacius (Isagoge in Libros Symbolicos, p. 1160): Si linguam
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