{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/105/1050895.htm","path":"chr/ecf/105/1050895.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/105/1050895.htm","text":"Chapter 2 [II.]\u2014The Praise of the Creature.\nThey accomplish the praise of the creature, inasmuch as it pertains to the human race of p. 417 which the question now is, in these statements: \u201cThat God is the Maker of all those that are born, and that the sons of men are God\u2019s work; and that all sin descends not from nature, but from the will.\u201d With this praise of the creature they connect, \u201cthat they say that baptism is necessary for every age, so that,\u201d namely, \u201cthe creature itself may be adopted among the children of God; not because it derives anything from its parents which must be purified in the laver of regeneration.\u201d To this praise they add also, \u201cthat they say that Christ the Lord was sprinkled with no stain of sin as far as pertains to His infancy;\u201d because they assert that His flesh was most pure from all contagion of sin, not by His own excellence and singular grace, but by His fellowship with the nature which is shared by all infants. It also belongs to this that they introduce the question \u201cof the origin of the soul,\u201d thus endeavouring to make all the souls of infants equal to the soul of Christ, maintaining that they likewise are sprinkled with no stain of sin. On this account, also, they say, \u201cthat nothing of evil passed from Adam upon the rest of humanity except death, which,\u201d they say, \u201cis not always an evil, since to the martyrs, for instance, it is for the sake of rewards; and it is not the dissolution of the bodies, which in every kind of men shall be raised up, that can make death to be called either good or evil, but the diversity of merits which arises from human liberty.\u201d These things they write in this letter concerning the praise of the creature.\nThey praise marriage truly according to the Scriptures, \u201cbecause the Lord saith in the gospel, He who made men from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth.\u201d Although this is not written in that passage of the gospel, yet it is written in the law. They add, moreover, \u201cWhat therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.\u201d 2775 And these we acknowledge to be gospel words.\nIn the praise of the law they say, \u201cthat the old law was, according to the apostle, holy and just and good; that on those who keep its commandments, and live righteously by faith, such as the prophets and patriarchs, and all the saints, life eternal could be conferred.\u201d\nIn the praise of free will they say, \u201cthat free will has not perished, since the Lord says by the prophets, \u2018If ye be willing and will hear me, ye shall eat the good things of the land: if ye are unwilling, and will not hear, the sword shall devour you.\u2019 2776 And thus, also, it is that grace assists the good purpose of any person, but yet does not infuse a desire of virtue into the reluctant heart, because there is no acceptance of persons with God.\u201d\nIn the praise of the saints they conceal themselves, saying \u201cthat baptism perfectly renews men, inasmuch as the apostle is a witness who testifies that, by the washing of water, the Church is made out of the heathen holy and spotless; 2777 that the Holy Spirit also assisted pious souls in ancient times, even as the prophet says to God, \u2018Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the right way;\u2019 2778 that all the prophets, moreover, and apostles or saints, as well of the New as of the Old Testament, to whom God gives witness, were righteous, not in comparison with the wicked, but by the rule of virtue; and that in future time there is a reward as well of good works as of evil. But that no one can then perform the commandment which here he may have contemned, because the apostle said, \u2018We must be manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things belonging to the body, according to what he has done, whether good or evil.\u2019\u201d 2779\nIn all these points, whatever they say of the praise of the creature and of marriage, they endeavour to bring us back to this,\u2014that there is no original sin; whatever of the praise of law and of free will, to this, that grace does not assist without merit, and that thus grace is no more grace; whatever of the praise of the saints, to this, that mortal life in the saints appears not to have sin, and that it is not necessary for them to pray God for the remitting of their debts.","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. V: A Treatise Agains...","type":"page"}