Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

1 1 6 Different Interpretations
CHAP. iv.
been assigned to man originally at his creation, as that
measure of good which it pleased God to appoint for him.
For, though the fall was the occasion and cause of this
measure being assigned, it is not unjust to do that for a
particular reason which you have a right to do without a
reason the ; agreement of the act itself with justice being
supposed, no great importance, at any rate, will attach to
such a further question. Nor is temporary pain, again, an
injustice, if it is designed to lead to ultimate happiness ;
but might have been justly imposed by Grod on mankind
at the creation, and independently of the sin of Adam,
for that end.
From such a limited and modified doctrine of original
sin let us turn to the doctrine of a later school.
The Western Church has, as a whole, entered more
deeply into the mysteries of the inner man than the Eastern
has, into that mixed sense of spiritual weakness and desire,
of a void which no efforts can fill, and of a struggle end
less upon all natural principles. This disposition has
characterised her great schools ; has largely hinged her
great conflicts and divisions ; the portions which the Re
formation separated from the main body have retained it :
the Roman and Protestant churches meet in it ; and the
West has been the providential exponent of the doctrine
of S. Paul. Tertullian first set the example of strength
and copiousness in laying down the nature and effects of
original sin; he was followed by Cyprian and Ambrose.
But language did not as yet advance out of the meta
phorical stage ; and apostacy, captivity, death, in a word,
the corruption of human nature, was all that was yet
asserted. But language could not ultimately rest in a
stage in which, however strong and significant, it did not
state what definite thing had happened to human nature
in consequence of the fall, and just stopped short of ex
pressing what, upon a real examination, it meant. If a
man is able to do a right action, and does a wrong one, he
is
personally guilty indeed, but it cannot be said that his
nature is
corrupt. The passions and affections may be
and so the nature be at a disad-
inconveniently strong,