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of moral evil, and since their day no philosopher of name was able to ignore it. They were all
constrained to admit the universality of it, and that in spite of the fact they were not able to
explain the phenomenon. There was, it is true, a superficial optimism in the eighteenth century,
which dreamt of the inherent goodness of man, but in its stupidity flew in the face of the facts
and was sharply rebuked by Kant. Many liberal theologians were induced to believe and to
preach this inherent goodness of man as gospel truth, but to-day many of them qualify it as one
of the most pernicious errors of the past. Surely, the facts of life do not warrant such optimism.
2. THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES IT.
There are direct statements of Scripture that point to the
universal sinfulness of man, such as I Kings 8:46; Ps. 143:2; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Rom. 3:1-
12,19,20,23; Gal. 3:22; Jas. 3:2; I John 1:8,10. Several passages of Scripture teach that sin is the
heritage of man from the time of his birth, and is therefore present in human nature so early
that it cannot possibly be considered as the result of imitation, Ps. 51:5; Job 14:4; John 3:6. In
Ephesians 2:3 Paul says of the Ephesians that they “were by nature children of wrath, even as
the rest.” In this passage the term “by nature” points to something inborn and original, as
distinguished from what is subsequently acquired. Sin, then, is something original, in which all
men participate, and which makes them guilty before God. Moreover, according to Scripture,
death is visited even upon those who have never exercised a personal and conscious choice,
Rom. 5:12-14. This passage implies that sin exists in the case of infants prior to moral
consciousness. Since infants die, and therefore the effect of sin is present in their case, it is but
natural to assume that the cause is also present. Finally, Scripture also teaches that all men are
under condemnation and therefore need the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Children are
never made an exception to this rule, cf. the preceding passages and also John 3:3,5; I John
5:12. This is not contradicted by those passages which ascribe a certain righteousness to man,
such as, Matt. 9:12,13; Acts 10:35; Rom. 2:14; Phil. 3:6; I Cor. 1:30, for this may be either civil
righteousness, ceremonial or covenant righteousness, the righteousness of the law, or the
righteousness which is in Christ Jesus.
C. THE CONNECTION OF ADAM’S SIN WITH THAT OF THE RACE.
1. THE DENIAL OF THIS CONNECTION.
Some deny the causal connection of the sin of Adam
with the sinfulness of the human race either wholly or in part.
a. Pelagians and Socinians deny absolutely that there is any necessary connection between our
sin and the sin of Adam. The first sin was Adam’s sin only and does not concern his posterity in
any way. The most they will admit is that the evil example of Adam led to imitation.
b. Semi-Pelagians and the earlier Arminians teach that man inherited a natural inability from
Adam, but is not responsible for this inability, so that no guilt attaches to it, and it may even be