the transgression of the law, or want of conformity to the will of
God, 1 John iii, 4. Original sin is that whereby our whole nature is
corrupted, and rendered contrary to the nature and law of God; or,
according to the ninth article of the church of England, “It is that
whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is, of his
own nature, inclined to evil.” This is sometimes called, “indwelling
sin,” Rom. vii. The imputation of the sin of Adam to his posterity, is
also what divines call, with some latitude of expression, original sin.
Actual sin is a direct violation of God’s law, and generally applied to
those who are capable of committing moral evil; as opposed to idiots or
children, who have not the right use of their powers. Sins of omission
consist in leaving those things undone which ought to be done. Sins of
commission are those which are committed against affirmative precepts,
or doing what should not be done. Sins of infirmity are those which
arise from ignorance, surprise, &c. Secret sins are those committed in
secret, or those of which, through blindness or prejudice, we do not see
the evil, Psalm xix, 7–12. Presumptuous sins are those which are done
boldly against light and conviction. The unpardonable sin is, according
to some, the ascribing to the devil the miracles which Christ wrought by
the power of the Holy Ghost. This sin, or blasphemy, as it should rather
be called, many scribes and Pharisees were guilty of, who, beholding our
Lord do his miracles, affirmed that he wrought them by Beelzebub, the
prince of devils, which was, in effect, calling the Holy Ghost Satan, a
most horrible blasphemy; and, as on this ground they rejected Christ,
and salvation by him, their sin could certainly have no forgiveness,
Mark iii, 22–30. No one therefore could be guilty of this blasphemy,
except those who were spectators of Christ’s miracles. There is,
however, another view of this unpardonable offence, which deserves
consideration: The sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, says Bishop
Tomline, is mentioned in the first three Gospels. It appears that all
the three evangelists agree in representing the sin or blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost as a crime which would not be forgiven; but no one of
them affirms that those who had ascribed Christ’s power of casting out
devils to Beelzebub, had been guilty of that sin, and in St. Luke it is
not mentioned that any such charge had been made. Our Saviour, according
to the account in St. Matthew and St. Mark, endeavoured to convince the
Jews of their error; but so far from accusing them of having committed
an unpardonable sin in what they had said concerning him, he declares
that “whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be
forgiven him;” that is, whatever reproaches men may utter against the
Son of man during his ministry, however they may calumniate the
authority upon which he acts, it is still possible that hereafter they
may repent and believe, and all their sins may be forgiven them; but the
reviling of the Holy Ghost is described as an offence of a far more
heinous nature: “The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men.” “He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath
never forgiveness.” “Unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it
shall not be forgiven.” It is plain that this sin against the Holy Ghost
could not be committed while our Saviour was upon earth, since he always
speaks of the Holy Ghost as not being to come till after his ascension
into heaven. A few days after that great event, the descent of the Holy
Ghost enabled the Apostles to work miracles, and communicated to them a
variety of other supernatural gifts. If men should ascribe these powers
to Beelzebub, or in any respect reject their authority, they would
blaspheme the Holy Ghost, from whom they were derived; and that sin
would be unpardonable, because this was the completion of the evidence
of the divine authority of Christ and his religion; and they who
rejected these last means of conviction, could have no other opportunity
of being brought to faith in Christ, the only appointed condition of
pardon and forgiveness. The greater heinousness of the sin of these men
would consist in their rejecting a greater body of testimony; for they
are supposed to be acquainted with the resurrection of our Saviour from
the dead, with his ascension into heaven, with the miraculous descent of
the Holy Ghost, and with the supernatural powers which it communicated;
circumstances, all of which were enforced by the Apostles when they
preached the Gospel; but none of which could be known to those who
refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah during his actual ministry.
Though this was a great sin, it was not an unpardonable one, it might be
remedied by subsequent belief, by yielding to subsequent testimony. But,
on the other hand, they who finally rejected the accumulated and
complete evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, as exhibited by the
inspired Apostles, precluded themselves from the possibility of
conviction, because no farther testimony would be afforded them, and
consequently, there being no means of repentance, they would be
incapable of forgiveness and redemption. Hence it appears that the sin
against the Holy Ghost consisted in finally rejecting the Gospel as
preached by the Apostles, who confirmed the truth of the doctrine which
they taught “by signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Ghost,” Heb. ii, 4. It was unpardonable, because this was the
consummation of the proofs afforded to the men of that generation of the
divine mission of Christ. This sin was manifestly distinct from all
other sins; it indicated an invincible obstinacy of mind, an impious and
unalterable determination to refuse the offered mercy of God. It would
appear from this, that those only committed or could commit this
irremissible offence, who were witnesses of the mighty works wrought by
the Holy Spirit in the Apostles after Christ’s ascension and the day of
pentecost. Our Lord’s declaration appears chiefly to respect the Jews.
This view will serve to explain those passages in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, in which the hopeless case of Jewish apostates is described.
But see BLASPHEMY.
God, 1 John iii, 4. Original sin is that whereby our whole nature is
corrupted, and rendered contrary to the nature and law of God; or,
according to the ninth article of the church of England, “It is that
whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is, of his
own nature, inclined to evil.” This is sometimes called, “indwelling
sin,” Rom. vii. The imputation of the sin of Adam to his posterity, is
also what divines call, with some latitude of expression, original sin.
Actual sin is a direct violation of God’s law, and generally applied to
those who are capable of committing moral evil; as opposed to idiots or
children, who have not the right use of their powers. Sins of omission
consist in leaving those things undone which ought to be done. Sins of
commission are those which are committed against affirmative precepts,
or doing what should not be done. Sins of infirmity are those which
arise from ignorance, surprise, &c. Secret sins are those committed in
secret, or those of which, through blindness or prejudice, we do not see
the evil, Psalm xix, 7–12. Presumptuous sins are those which are done
boldly against light and conviction. The unpardonable sin is, according
to some, the ascribing to the devil the miracles which Christ wrought by
the power of the Holy Ghost. This sin, or blasphemy, as it should rather
be called, many scribes and Pharisees were guilty of, who, beholding our
Lord do his miracles, affirmed that he wrought them by Beelzebub, the
prince of devils, which was, in effect, calling the Holy Ghost Satan, a
most horrible blasphemy; and, as on this ground they rejected Christ,
and salvation by him, their sin could certainly have no forgiveness,
Mark iii, 22–30. No one therefore could be guilty of this blasphemy,
except those who were spectators of Christ’s miracles. There is,
however, another view of this unpardonable offence, which deserves
consideration: The sin or blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, says Bishop
Tomline, is mentioned in the first three Gospels. It appears that all
the three evangelists agree in representing the sin or blasphemy against
the Holy Ghost as a crime which would not be forgiven; but no one of
them affirms that those who had ascribed Christ’s power of casting out
devils to Beelzebub, had been guilty of that sin, and in St. Luke it is
not mentioned that any such charge had been made. Our Saviour, according
to the account in St. Matthew and St. Mark, endeavoured to convince the
Jews of their error; but so far from accusing them of having committed
an unpardonable sin in what they had said concerning him, he declares
that “whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be
forgiven him;” that is, whatever reproaches men may utter against the
Son of man during his ministry, however they may calumniate the
authority upon which he acts, it is still possible that hereafter they
may repent and believe, and all their sins may be forgiven them; but the
reviling of the Holy Ghost is described as an offence of a far more
heinous nature: “The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men.” “He that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath
never forgiveness.” “Unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it
shall not be forgiven.” It is plain that this sin against the Holy Ghost
could not be committed while our Saviour was upon earth, since he always
speaks of the Holy Ghost as not being to come till after his ascension
into heaven. A few days after that great event, the descent of the Holy
Ghost enabled the Apostles to work miracles, and communicated to them a
variety of other supernatural gifts. If men should ascribe these powers
to Beelzebub, or in any respect reject their authority, they would
blaspheme the Holy Ghost, from whom they were derived; and that sin
would be unpardonable, because this was the completion of the evidence
of the divine authority of Christ and his religion; and they who
rejected these last means of conviction, could have no other opportunity
of being brought to faith in Christ, the only appointed condition of
pardon and forgiveness. The greater heinousness of the sin of these men
would consist in their rejecting a greater body of testimony; for they
are supposed to be acquainted with the resurrection of our Saviour from
the dead, with his ascension into heaven, with the miraculous descent of
the Holy Ghost, and with the supernatural powers which it communicated;
circumstances, all of which were enforced by the Apostles when they
preached the Gospel; but none of which could be known to those who
refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah during his actual ministry.
Though this was a great sin, it was not an unpardonable one, it might be
remedied by subsequent belief, by yielding to subsequent testimony. But,
on the other hand, they who finally rejected the accumulated and
complete evidence of Jesus being the Messiah, as exhibited by the
inspired Apostles, precluded themselves from the possibility of
conviction, because no farther testimony would be afforded them, and
consequently, there being no means of repentance, they would be
incapable of forgiveness and redemption. Hence it appears that the sin
against the Holy Ghost consisted in finally rejecting the Gospel as
preached by the Apostles, who confirmed the truth of the doctrine which
they taught “by signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the
Holy Ghost,” Heb. ii, 4. It was unpardonable, because this was the
consummation of the proofs afforded to the men of that generation of the
divine mission of Christ. This sin was manifestly distinct from all
other sins; it indicated an invincible obstinacy of mind, an impious and
unalterable determination to refuse the offered mercy of God. It would
appear from this, that those only committed or could commit this
irremissible offence, who were witnesses of the mighty works wrought by
the Holy Spirit in the Apostles after Christ’s ascension and the day of
pentecost. Our Lord’s declaration appears chiefly to respect the Jews.
This view will serve to explain those passages in the Epistle to the
Hebrews, in which the hopeless case of Jewish apostates is described.
But see BLASPHEMY.