Saint Augustine his enchiridion to Laurence, or, The chiefe and principall heads of all Christian religion a most profitable booke to all those which desire to haue a most compendious briefe of Augustines doctrine, out of Augustine himselfe, when he was old, being repurged, by the old manuscript, of many faults and vnusuall wordes, wherewith it formerly flowed.

TOVCHING ORIGI∣nall and actuall sinne.

CHAP. 44.

Vnder the name of that word Sin in the singular number, many sinnes be many times included: and so againe, vnder the appel∣lation of many sinnes, one parti∣cular sinne is comprehended.

THey be therefore most com∣monly said to bee dead vnto sinne, when as yet without all question, they be dead to many, nay to all manner of sins which they haue particularly commit∣ted, either in thought, word, or deed: Because the singular num∣ber doth most commonly imply the plurall; As for example, it is said of that verse of Virgil tou∣ching the horse of wood broght into Troy;

Vterum{que} armato milite com∣plent, With Souldier arm'd they fill'd his belly full;

Albeit the same was repleate with many souldiers. And in the Booke of Numbers it is written, Beseech therefore the Lord that he will take from vs the Serpent, he saith not the Serpents, where∣with the people were afflicted; meaning by one, infinit serpents like vnto that one. And so on the other side, is that one originall sinne included in the plurall number (when wee say that in∣fants be baptized to the remissi∣on of sinnes, and not to the re∣mission of sinne) wherein the speech is inuerted or contrarily vsed; as whereby the singular number is signified by the plu∣rall: Like as it is spoken at He∣rod in the Gospel, when he was dead, they are dead which sought the life of the childe; It was not said, he is dead. So likewise in Exodus, they made (said he) vnto

themselues golden gods: whereas indeed they made but one calfe alone, whereof it is spoken, O Is∣rael these bee thy gods, which brought thee out of the land of E∣gypt. In which place the plurall is put for the singular.

CHAP. 45.

That in the first sinne of man, which is called Originall, there be diuers kindes of sinne inclu∣ded, and not one alone.

HOwbeit, in that one sinne, which by one man entred into the world, and passed tho∣rough all mankind, & for which also infants be baptized, many sinnes may be vnderstood, if the same were seuered and diuided (as it were) into his members. For pride is there also to bee found; because man loued ra∣ther to bee subiect to himselfe, than to the will of God. Sacri∣ledge also, is to be ascribed vnto

man because he beleeued not. And homicide also, because hee threw humselfe downe vnto death. As also spirituall forni∣cation, because the integritie of mans will was corrupted by the perswasion of the serpent. And likewise theft, because hee did eate of the forbidden meate. A∣uarice also, because hee desired more thā might haue contented him. And so of any sin besides: which, vpon more diligent ex∣amination, may be found or ga∣thered out of this actuall or committed sinne.

CHAP. 46.

That infants be not onely guiltie of the sinnes of their gift fa∣ther's, that is to say, Adam and Eue; but of their owne, and the sinnes of their immediate pa∣rents added to originall sinne. That therefore regeneration is necessarie for them, because that generation or of〈…〉〈…〉 is 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

IT is also not impropably said, that ininfants stand-found for their fathers faults, not onely of the first parents Adam & Eue, but also of their owne fathers, from whom they did naturally descend. For, that text of holy scripture, where it is said, I will lay the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children, doth make them liable to that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 alwaies, before such time as by rege∣neration they beginne to haue a•• neerest in the new Testamēt:

which Testament was prophe∣sied in the saying of Ezechiel, that children should not beare the burthen of their fathers iniqui∣ties, Neither yet, that that Pro∣verbe should bee more vsed in Israel affirming, the fathers haue eaten sower grapes, and the chil∣drens ••ecth were set on edge. Eue∣ry one therfore is to be borne a∣new, whether he may be freed from that sinne, wherein he was borne. For, the sinnes which hee afterwards committed by euill life, may be salued by repentāce, whereof we haue visible exam∣ples after baptisme. By which reason recreation was ordai∣ned for none other coūsel, but because our generation is vici∣ous; insomuch as the man which is borne in pure wedlooke may say, I am conceived in iniquities, and my mother hath borne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with my sinne while I was 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wombe. In which place hee hath not say, I was conceiued in iniqui∣tie and sinne, which hee might

very well haue said: but hee had rather say, in iniquities and sinns; because, both in that one sinne, which hath infected all man∣kinde (and is so great, as thereby the whole nature of man was consequently changed, & made subiect vnto death, as I haue formerly maintained by reason) Many other be included, and o∣ther also committed by parents: which albeit they cannot alter or confound nature, as originall (sin doth; yet do they by imputa∣tion make the childrē answera∣ble for the same, except the free mercy & grace of God do helpe to make satisfaction.

CHAP. 47.

It is a matter left vncertaine, whether all the sinnes of fore∣fathers, as well actuall as origi∣nall, be extended to posteritie, and to how many descents they be conuaied.

BVt now as touching the sins of the Parents, wherein (from Adam, to euery mans own fa∣ther, beeing their progenetors) euery child doth succeed his fa∣ther: It is a disputable questiō, & that not without cause, whether the childe that is borne, shall be guiltie both of actuall and ori∣ginall sinnes of all his ancestors, whereby euery one, the later he is borne, the greater sinner hee shall be borne? or, whether God doth therefore threaten posteri∣tie with reuenge for the sinnes of their parents, vnto the third and fourth generation, because hee doeth not extend his wrath

any further vpon the children for their fathers faults), staying his proceedings therein by his owne mercy lost they vpon whom the benefit or grace of regeneration is not bestowed, should bee pressed downe with too heauie a burthen in their e∣uerlasting damnation, if or ne∣cessitie they should be capable, euen from their cradle, or their forefathers sinnes originally, and punishable also for the same: or whether any other conclusion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 so great controuersie, vpon ••ector 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and conference of holy scriptures, may be found out, or not found out, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not rashly giue my definitiue sen∣tence, or resolute opinion therein.

CHAP. 48.

Originall sinne is by Christ onely abolished.

HOwbeit that one sin, which beeing 〈…〉〈…〉ainous in respect of the place and state of so great felicitie wherein it was commit∣ted, as that in offence of one man originally; and (as I may say radically, all mankinde was in the state of damnation, is not satisfied nor 〈◊〉〈◊〉, but onely by the mediator of God and man, Christ Iesus, who onely was o〈…〉〈…〉 to be borne, as that he had an neede of regeneration or new birth.