The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he
should be righteous?" Job xv. 14.
Is sin ABOMINABLE and LOATHSOME? so is original sin.
"The heavens are not clean in His (God's) sight. How much more
abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water." Job xv.
15, 16. Is sin UNRIGHTEOUS? so is original sin. "What is he which is
born of a woman, that he should be righteous?" Job xv. 14.
Is sin IMPURE? so is original sin. "The stars are not pure in His
(God's) sight, how much less man, that is a worm." Job xxv. 4. Here the
contrast is between the highest purity imaged in the stars, and the deepest
corruption embodied in man, who, not in physical characteristics, nor in
intellect, but in moral nature, is a worm before the judgment of God--
"man," paraphrases the Targum, "in life a reptile, in death a worm."
5. The acts of sin.
5. We argue that original sin is truly sin, because it does the ACTS of
sin. "When we were in the flesh" ("that which is born of the flesh is flesh"),
"the motions of sin which were by the law, did work in our members to
bring forth fruit unto death." Rom. vii. 5. "So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin." Rom. vii. 25. "The
flesh lusteth against the spirit." Gal. v. 17. "Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and
such like." Gal. v. 19-21. The works of the flesh are not works done in the
flesh, that is in the body, but works wrought by the flesh, that is by the
corrupt nature characteristic of all that are born of the flesh. "The carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7. “If I do that I would not, it is no more I that
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." Rom. vii. 20. "I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." Rom. vii. 23. "The
spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy." “Let not sin reign in your