Representative statements

1. "By this sin (eating the forbidden fruit) they (our first parents) fell from their original righteousness and communion with God,and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. They being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed and the same death in sin and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation. From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions." (The Presbyterian Confession of Faith, as quoted by T. W. Brents, The Gospel Plan of Salvation, p. 109-110).

2. "The whole soul of man is entirely depraved, corrupt, and alienated from God --- a child of wrath, an heir of hell, going astray from the womb, conceived in sin, an enemy to God, having a heart deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; the understanding darkened, the affections earthly, and the whole man sensual and devilish." (Ewing's Lectures, as quoted by T. W. Brents, The Gospel Plan of Salvation, p. 124).

3. "All mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse." (J. M. Pendleton, Missionary Baptist, 'Church Manual Designed for the use of Baptist Churches, as quoted by C. R. Nichol and R. L. Whiteside, Sound Doctrine, Vol. 4., pg. 98).

4. "... born wicked and depraved... corruption of our nature... the whole of man is corrupted - 'mind and heart' - and to contend that only a part of the soul is corrupted is opposed to supernatural grace." (Institutes., Vol. 1, p. 262). "Original sin, therefore, seems to be a hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature..." (Institu., Vol. 1., pg. 251).

5. "If infants are guilty of original sin, then they are proper subjects of baptism, seeing, in the ordinary way, they cannot be saved, unless this is washed away by baptism. It has been already proved, that this original stain cleaves to every child of man; and that thereby they are children of wrath, and liable to eternal damnation ... Infants need to be washed from original sin; therefore, they are proper subjects of baptism." (John Wesley, Wesley's Works, Miscellaneous, Vol. 2, pg. 16. as quoted by C. R. Nichol and R. L. Whiteside, Sound Doctrine, Vol. 5, pg. 69).

6. "From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions." (Second London (or Assembly) Confession, Baptist, chap. VI.)

7. "Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually." (Doctrine and Discipline of the Methodist Church, Nashville: The Methodist Pub. House, 1952, p. 27).

This then should give us a place to start on this doctrine! Remember - this is what they believe. It means that babies are born 1) guilty of Adam's sin; 2) entirely depraved; 3) an enemy of God; 4) sensual; 5) devilish; etc. -- all from the list above. Let us now examine some of the scriptures that are often quoted to prove the above and see if they are rightly used.

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