Whether the Remonstrants rightly deny that Adam before the fall had the power of believing in Christ
Article XIII. Whether the Remonstrants rightly deny that Adam before the fall had the power of believing in Christ.
1. Remonstrants deny that Adam in integrity had power or habit to believe in Christ the mediator — the woman's-seed promise came only after the fall, they say, and justifying faith's object was not yet revealed.
2. Orthodox answer: Adam had power of obedience and trust in God as Creator and Lord; and virtually, in the root, power to believe in the Mediator if God had revealed him — his intellect and will were right and able for every supernatural good God might reveal.
3. That he did not actually believe in Christ before the fall we grant — incarnation and redemption were not yet revealed. Remote power is not to be denied.
4. Their denial tends to make justifying faith merely historical and tied to post-fall revelation, and to lessen prevenient grace's necessity in the fallen. Rejected.
Latin
ART. XIII. An recte negent Remonstrantes, Adamum ante lapsum habuisse potentiam credendi in Christum. 1. Remonstrantes negant Adamum in statu integritatis habuisse potentiam seu habitum credendi in CHRISTUM mediatorem — quia (inquiunt) promissio de semine mulieris post lapsum demum data est, & objectum fidei justificantis tunc nondum erat revelatum. 2. Orthodoxi respondent: Adamum ante lapsum habuisse potentiam obedientiае & fiduciae in DEUM Creatorem & Dominum; & virtualiter seu in radice habuisse potentiam credendi in Mediatorem, si DEUS eum revelasset — quia intellectus & voluntas ejus recta erant, & ad omne bonum supernaturale a DEO revelandum potens. 3. Quod vero actu non crediderit in CHRISTUM ante lapsum, concedimus: quia mysterium incarnationis & redemptionis nondum erat revelatum. Sed potentia remota non est neganda. 4. Remonstrantium negatio eo tendit, ut fidem justificantem faciant mere historicam & contingentem revelationi post lapsum, & ut gratiae praevenientis necessitatem in lapso minuant. Ideo rejicienda.