# Quick Question on Natural Generation



## Unoriginalname (Dec 16, 2011)

So I was reading James Ussher's A body of divinity and in his Ninth Head he uses the phrase _Natural Generation_ which I know is also found later in the Westminster Longer Catechism. My question is does natural generation mean anything more than our biological descent from Adam?


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## py3ak (Dec 17, 2011)

I believe the WLC uses the phrase "ordinary generation". As to natural generation, it depends on the context - it is sometimes used also of the Son's being begotten by the Father: for instance by Pearson, in explaining the Apostle's Creed.


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## Unoriginalname (Dec 17, 2011)

> Q. 26. How is original sin conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity?
> A. Original sin is conveyed from our first parents unto their posterity by natural generation,
> so as all that proceed from them in that way are conceived and born in sin.



And Ussher uses the phrase in the same context.


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## Romans922 (Dec 17, 2011)

Same as ordinary generation in that context. It is conveyed from parents to children via birth.

John Murray clarifies this meaning, 

"Furthermore, the relation of depravity to natural generation may also have to be formulated in a different fashion. It may not be formulated in a different fashion. It may not be strictly accurate to say that we come depraved by natural generation. It is true that _in _the act of generation we become depraved. This is true because it is by generation that we come to be as distinct persons. In this sense it would not be improper to say that we become depraved by natural generation. But natural generation is not the reason why we are conceived in sin. It is not an adequate explanation of our depravity to say that by the law of generation like begets like and since Adam became depraved it was inevitable that he should beget children in the same depraved condition. It is necessary, of course, to take account of this factor. But the _reason _why we are naturally generated in sin is that, whenever we begin to be, we begin to be as sinful because of our solidarity with Adam in his sin. Thus the relation of natural generation to depravity is that by the former we begin to be and having begun to be we are necessarily sinful by reason of our involvement in Adam's sin. Natural generation we may speak of, if we will, as the means of conveying depravity, but, strictly, natural generation is the means whereby we come to be and depravity is the correlate of our having come to be." 

Quote is possible


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## py3ak (Dec 17, 2011)

Good call - I was thinking of question 22.


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## Semper Fidelis (Dec 17, 2011)

Romans922 said:


> It is conveyed from parents to children via birth.


Just a quick qualifier. It is actually imputed and not strictly "via birth". As Murray notes:


> *we begin to be as sinful because of our solidarity with Adam in his sin*. Thus the relation of natural generation to depravity is that by the former we begin to be and having begun to be we are necessarily sinful by reason of our involvement in Adam's sin. Natural generation we may speak of, if we will, as the means of conveying depravity, but, strictly, natural generation is the means whereby we come to be and depravity is the correlate of our having come to be.


Natural generation is the _means_ but our solidarity with Adam is the correlate of our having come to be.


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## Romans922 (Dec 17, 2011)

WCF VI.3 says, "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."

I think Murray clarifies that quite well. So I wasn't denying that Rich (clarifying).


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## Unoriginalname (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks all of you, what you guys are bringing up is pretty much what my book said, I was just unsure if there was something more to this term. The more I study the confessions and documents that influenced them the more I see they rarely have an unneeded word.


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