Mozley: A Treatise on the Augustinian Doctrine of

CHAP. iv. of Original Sin. 123
assigned a punishment in hell to original sin, and, allowing
differences in degree, still left some degree or other of that
punishment necessary for that sin. The heathen who had
not sinned against the light had a milder punishment in
but ignorance was only allowed
hell than those who had ;
to procure a mitigation of it, not a release from it. Those
who knew our Lord s will and did it not, were beaten with
those who knew it not and did it not, with
many stripes ;
1
few stripes. With respect to unbaptized infants, his lan
guage varies in strength. The severest consigns them to
the flames of hell ; the most lenient to such a punishment
as left existence under it better than deprivation of being ;
a limitation which might appear to leave no room for
positive punishment at all, as it might be said that it
would be better not to exist than to exist eternally in any
degree of pain ; but such refinements are hardly worth
pursuing. A middle language consigns them to the mildest
punishment which there is in hell. On the whole, some
true punishment in hell is assigned to unbaptized infants. 2
This whole doctrine of original sin, its effects and its
punishment, we must observe, is but the legitimate draw
ing out, in statement and consequence, of the true and
scriptural doctrine of original sin. The corruption of
human nature followed deservedly, according to that
damnatione tota sen- Deum." De Grat. et Lib. Arb. c. iii.
regeneratorum
tit ecclesia, nunquam dicturus es Sicut enim non grave jugum super parvulos
impediunt a vita
unde eterna justum qusedam peccata venisit
justum, si non trahant originale alia sinequibus hsec vita non duci-
peccatum. 2. 117- See NOTE tur: sic ad salutem aeternam nihil
XVIII. prosunt impio aliqua bona opera,
1 Sed et ilia ignorantia quae sine quibus difficillime vita cujusnon
est eorum qui scire nolunt, libet pessimi hominis invenitur.
sed eorum qui tanquam simpliciter Veruntamen sicut in regno Dei velut
nesciunt, neminem sic excusat ut stella ab stella in gloria different
sempiterno igne non ardeat, si sancti ; sic et in damnatione poense
propterea non credidit, quia non sempiternse tolerabilius erit Sodomae
audivit omnino quod crederet sed ; quam alteri civitati : et erunt quifortasse
ut mitius ardeat. Non dam duplo amplius quibusdam ge-
"
enim sine causa dictum est Effunde hennae filii : ita nee illud in judicio
iram tuam in gentes quse te non Dei vacabit, quod in ipsa impietate
"
noverunt ; et illud quod ait Apos- damnabili magis alius alio minusve
"
tolus, Cum venerit in flamma ignis peccaverit. De Sp. et Lit. 1. I.e. 28.
2 dare vindictam in eos qui ignorant NOTE XVIII.