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Orthodox Doctrine (Summary of Christian Divinity)
Metropolitan Platon of Moscow, tr. Pinkerton, 1814
14. Part 1, Section 14: Of the Corrupt Nature of Man
Here we behold man, so weak and corrupted, that he, in his own strength, is not only unable to render unto God perfect worship; but, on the contrary, finds himself a continual transgressor of God’s law, and altogether unclean before the infinitely pure eyes of divine justice.
Proofs of the corruption of human nature.
1. The weakness and corruption of our nature are indisputable, even according to the opinion of Heathens. Only open their books, and you will see how they complain of the tempers of men; accuse their unruly passions; are offended at their inconstancy; exclaim against the shameful injustice of men; describe the ragings of war; the evils of deceit, cunning, calumny; the most abominable fleshly lusts, drunkenness, avarice, pride, covetousness, insatiable revenge, &c. Hence, the ancients invented the fable of Democritus and Heraclitus; of whom, the one always laughed at the folly of men, and the other wept continually over the miseries of the human race.
In further proof of the corruption of human nature, we observe, that once the whole world (except a chosen few, among whom the knowledge of God shone) bowed down before corruptible wood, and silver and gold, or the images of men, to whom the poets have ascribed the worst of crimes; and though all these objects of worship were not indiscriminately of this class; yet the best of them were but men. But why do I speak of the images of men, for divine honours were paid, and sacrifices and offerings presented, to four-footed beasts and creeping things; to crocodiles, bulls, cats, and apes, and even to onions and garlic. Is it possible to have greater proofs of the blindness of human reason, or more decisive evidences of the extreme corruption of man’s nature? With such dark and confused ideas of the divinity, they also made the manners of mankind to agree; and hence, their whole lives were nothing but a wandering in the dark night of error. This corruption also has been the cause of the overthrow of the most powerful empires, the most flourishing republics, and the most eminent systems of human government in the world. The numerous laws enacted, and the severities employed to procure obedience to them, were all insufficient to stop the current of vice; and the wickedness of mankind became so great, that vice would sooner have destroyed the laws, than the laws overcome it. But even in our own times, how many laws, judgment seats, places of correction, prisons, scaffolds, &c.! Yet notwithstanding, sin still rages in the world with accumulated strength. It is impossible not to feel the force of these reasons, which prove our nature to be terribly corrupt; more particularly, when we subjoin to them the powerful evidence of Holy Scripture, which, in innumerable passages, mourns over this our great source of wretchedness. “The earth also was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth:” Gen. vi. 11, 12. “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good,—no, not one.” Psalm xiv. 2, 3.
But the internal war which we feel in ourselves, proves still more forcibly our weakness and corruption; and it shews itself in this, that we do not act as we would, nor according to our convictions of right; but we do the very things which we condemn as evil: thus there is a kind of tyrannical evil power within us, which almost by force drags us to sin. “But I see another law in my members (says Paul) 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. Hence it is evident, that rational creatures thus situated are in a most pitiable condition. “O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” On this account, the word of God in a number of passages speaks of man as weak, and blind, and forlorn, and ruined, and dead, and in such a state, that without the blessings of revelation he is accounted altogether unable to do good, and needs to be spiritually born again. From these considerations, it without doubt follows, that man, by his own power, is unable to render unto a spotless and holy God an acceptable service; by his own power, I say; for we shall see afterwards what view we ought to take of evangelical worship; and we shall also speak of the origin of this corruption, when we come to treat of the symbol of faith. But we have been the more particular on the weakness and corruption of human nature, because these considerations pave the way for the Gospel.
2. Before man can be justified at the bar of eternal equity, he must appear without the least sin. But who among the children of men can say this of himself? All of us are guilty of committing sin every moment, either in thoughts, words, or actions: none was ever yet found so holy, as not to have been the servant of sin. Every individual of the human race has bowed down to this Babylonish idol; and the Holy Scriptures most powerfully bear testimony to this truth. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John i. 8. “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Isaiah lxiv. 6. “Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” Psalm cxliii. 2.