A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is, by pregnant texts of Scripture vindicated from false glosses / by Anthony Burgess.

SECT. IV.

Wherein Original Sinne hath infected the minds of all men.

THese things premised, Let us consider, Wherein original sinne hath in∣fected the minds of all men, so that in respect thereof that is to be renew∣ed. And

[ I] First, Horrible ignorance of God, and the things of salvation doth cover the soul of every man by nature, even as darknesse was upon the face of the deep. Thus Rom. 3. you heard the Apostle pronounceth generally, There is Rome that understandeth, or seeketh after God, No, not one. Hence also Ephes. 5. 8. uncon∣verted persons are said to be darknesse in the very abstract, and that both because of their original and acquired blindness of mind upon them; What could the

wisest and most learned of the world do in respect of any knowledge of Christ, if this were not revealed? for this cause it is called the Ministery, and the Gos∣pel is constantly compared to light, and all the world is said, To sit in darkness till this doth arise; so that our minds are by nature wholly ignorant about our selves, about God and Christ, which made our Saviour say to Peter, upon his confession, That flesh and blend had not revealed this to him: whereas then in the state of integrity our minds were as gloriously filled with all perfections, and abilities, as the firmament with slarres, there was sapience, in respect of God, science, in respect of all natural things to be known, and prudence, in respect of all things to be done; now our eie is put out, and like Sampson, the Philistims can do what they please with us, for this respect it is, that every creature is better then man, they have a natural instinct, whereby they know what is proper for them, Opera natura sunt opera artis, or intelligeniae; They have as much knowledge sensitive (I mean) as they were made with at first, even the least creatures and most despicable; yea God is, maximus in minimus, most wonder full in the least things, which made Austin preferre Fly before the Sunne, and that he did more admire, Opera Formicarum, then Onera Came∣lorum, the wise workes of the Ant, before the heavy burdens of Camels: Thus all creatures have a suteable knowledge for their end in their way, only man is in horrible darkness, and is absolutely ignorant about God or his own happi∣ness. Therefore those opinions of some, who attribute a possibility of salva∣tion to Heathens, by the natural knowledge they have, do in effect make void Christ and the Gospel.

Secondly, Original sinne doth not only deprive us of all knowledge of God in a saving way, but also filleth us with error, and positive mistakes, whereby we have not only unbelief, but misbelief, our condition were not so universally miserable, if so be our mindes were only in a not knowing, or meer privative ignorance about God: but oh the gross soul and absurd perswasions men have naturally about God! The Atheisme naturally that is in us, either denying or doubting about God; but especially, the false and absurd representations of God to us; It is from the error in mans mind, that Polytheisme hath so abounded, perswading themselves of many gods; yea, the idolatry that hath filled the pagarish world, and under subtile distractions hath invaded the Church also, doth abundantly proclaim original ignorance and error in us about divine things; yea, the wiser men, as the Apostle observeth, Rom. 1. They became the more foolish in their imaginations, turning the image of God into the likeness of the vilest creatures.

But before we proceed, we must answer an Objection, that may be made to the Doctrine delivered; for it will easily be said, That the corruption hither∣to mentioned in the understanding is actual sinne rather then original; Ignorance, Atheisme, I dolatrical thoughts of God, these must necessarily be judged actual; and if it be so, Why do we ascribe this to original? And indeed this Objection is commonly made by Papists, against the Positions and Confessions which the Protestants have made about original sinne; for when they discribe the nature of it, they usually instance in particulars, as horrible ignorance, Atheism, and dissidence in the mind, &c. To this the Papists reply, saying, We confound actual and original sinne; yea, when we bring that famous place. Gen. 5. 6. The imaginations of the thoughts of the heart, are onely evil, and that continually, to prove original sinne, they reply the same thing to that Text also.

Therefore to clear this, we are to know, that it is true, Atheisme, ignorance; these are actual sinnes, as they are put in exercise, but yet when we ascribe them to original sinne, we do not so much mean, the actual exercise of these evils, as the Proneness and propensity of the heart to them: So that our meaning is, The heart of it self is prone to all these actual wickednesses; Therefore

though we name these as actual, yet you must understand them, habitually and seminally, there being an inclination to all that impiety.

Only the reason, why we describe original sinne thus, as if it were actual pollution, it is, Because that it is a principle alwaies acting, it never ceaseth; the sparkes of this lust are like those of hell which never go out; as the heart of a man naturally, never ceaseth its motion, so neither doth the evil heart of a man.

This difficulty being removed, let us proceed to discover further actings of original sinne in the mind, and spirit of man, And

[ II] The second in order is, That incapacity, which is in every mans understan∣ding about holy things: Divine and supernatural things are no more received by him, then a Beast doth apprehend the things of reason; We have this fully affirmed, 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned; you see there is no habitude or proportion between the understannding of a natural man, and spiritual things, no more, then is between the bodily eie, and a spiritual: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is one that doth, excolere animam, such as labour to adorne and perfect the soul, with the most intellectual and moral indowments that are: a Tully, a Plato, an Aristotle, these, if brought to Gospel-truth, are not so much as noctuae ad solem, Owles to the Sunne-beames; To this purpose also, Rom. 8. 7, we have not only this truth asserted, but also aggravated, where the carnal mind is said, To be enmity against God, and it is not subject to the Law of God, neither can it be. By which places of Scripture, it is evident, That the mind of man, hath an utter incapacity, as to any divine things. Indeed there is a passive capacity, as some express it, and so the mind of man is susceptible of holy truth, and such a capacity is not in a beast; as that is not capable of sinne, so neither of regeneration; But then there is an active capacity, when the soul by some ability and power of its own, is able to move to these supernatural objects; and thus the understanding of the most learned in the world, cannot of it self receive it, and therefore faith is said, To be the gift of God; so that we may justly abhorre the Arminians, Probitas animi, and Pia doxilitas, which they make preparatory or main part to conversion: Now there is a twofold receiving of divine Truths.

1. Speculatively, by a bare dogmatical assent; and even thus, none by nature can receive the Truths of God; for the Pharisees though they heard Christ preached, and saw the miracles he did, yet they did not believe with so much as a dogmatical faith.

2. There is a practical, and experimental receiving of holy Truths in the power of them, which is here called, the knowing of Truths, as they are in Jesus, and this much less are we able to receive: To the former is required the com∣mon grace of God; To this a more special one. Wonder not then, if you see men, even the most learned, naturally so brutish, so ignorant about divine things, That they have no more understanding, and apprehension about heavenly things, Oh bewail original corruption, which maketh thee so unteachable, so untractable! Why doth not every Scripture-truth, every powerfull Sermon have its full and powerfull operation upon thee, but because it doth not me et with a preparedand fitted subject?

[ III] Thirdly, Original sin polluteth the understanding, by making it to incline to curio∣sity, and a prying into such things, which God hath not revealed. Adam's actual sinne, which is our original imputed one, was partly this, They desired to be as gods, to know good and evil, which hath left its impression upon all: Like the Bethshemite, we desire to be looking into the Ark. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 4. 6, as he would not have the Corinthians, think of men, above that which is written, so much less of God contrary to that which is revealed:

This is a great evil upon the understandings of men by original sinne that now the mind is not contented with the rule God hath given it; They think it a small and contemptible matter to know no more then what may be known by the Scripture, but they affect extraordinary things; This curiosity is that which filled the Church once with so many Schoolemen and their Questi∣ons, as Aegypt was once with Caterpillars. It is true, School-divinity hath its use, and so farre as they deal solidly, and improve natural reason in any point, they are very admirable; but when once they fall into their useless, unprofitable and sublime Questions, where neither the Word of God, or sure reason can conduct them, then they vanish like smoak in the air: how rash are they in their Disputes about Angels? With what nice conceits have they obscured the Doctrine of the Trinity? Insomuch that we may see much of original sinne in them, inclining and hurrying of them to a bold and ven∣turous determination of such things, which God hath not manifested; so that none of their seraphical, sublime, or angelical Doctors, could begin their Disputations, as John his Epistle: That which we have seen, we have heard, and our hands have handled; 1 Joh 1. 1. Though therefore the Schoolemen have in somethings their great use, yet in their difficult niceties, which are but as so many cob-webs, there they are as much to be slighted; as one king did a man, who boasted, he could stand at a distance and throw a grain of corn through the eie of a needle. Again this original curiosity of the mind, ven∣teth it self in all those Magick Arts and Witchcrafts which have abounded in the world; as also in judiciary Astrology, and such deceitful impostures, men affecting, as Adam did, to be like God, to be able to declare the things that are to come. Act. 19▪ 19. They are called, curious arts. Furthermore this curiosity of the mind is seen, in nauseating and disdaining known things, and what are already discovered, and ambitiously thirsting to find out some Veritas incognita, as others have done Terra incognita, To bring such new things to the world, that were never knowen, or heard before: It's from this sinful curiosity, that men forsake the good Truths of God, and runne after heresies, errors, and whatsoever hath novellisme in it: so that he, who would examine himself about his regeneration, must look to the renovation of his mind in this particular, as well as any other.

Fourthly, Original sinne discovereth it self in our minds, by the vanity that [ IIII] they are filled with, 1 Cor. 3▪ 20, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain; If the thoughts of wise men (without the Scripture) be vain, how much more of men, who have no more then natural ability? And certainly this must needs be a very heavy censure upon man, that he who hath the best parts, the greatest understanding, yet till grace sanctify, he is but a vain man; His mind is a vain mind, his understanding is a vain under∣standing; many waies the vanity of it might be discovered, as thus, The understanding of man is naturally more affected with pleasing things, then with solid and sound Truths; it is more affected with words, language, jests, and merry tales, then with that matter which tendeth to spiritual edification; Is not this a great instance of the vanity upon our minds? to regard leaves more then fruit, chaff more then good seed, pictures and shews more then substan∣ces: whence ariseth that delight in embroydered language, in playes and Co∣medies, and in Romances, and such bubles, and empty vapours, but from a va∣nity upon mans mind? To be pleased with stories, and merry tales, more then a powerfull and divine Sermon? Is not this, because mans mind is vain? Since mans fall, as the will, though a noble part of the soul, yet doth act de∣pendently and slavishly to the sensitive appetite; we will not what is good, and the acceptable will of God, but what our sinful affections suggest to us: so the understanding, though the satred faculty, (as it were) of the soul, yet

acts dependently on the fancie, and so what tickleth and pleaseth that, the mind also is most affected with. Austin did much confess and bewail this vani∣ty of his mind, whereby he did disdain the simplicity of the Scripture, and de∣sired to hear that eloquent Ambrose, not out of love to matter, but to words; This is a childish vanity, like Children that delight in a Book for the pictures that are in it, not the matter contained therein. This vain mind hath some∣times affected both Preacher and Hearer, what applauded Sermons have there been, and yet nothing in them but descanting upon words, and affecting a verbal pomp, being like the Nightingale Vox & preterea nihil, like Puppets stuft with bumbast, having no life at all within them? and all was accoun∣ted prating that was not such a wordy preaching. And, truely, this vanity hath much infected the mind of hearers; men coming to the Word preached, not as to hear the Oracles of God, with fear and trembling, but as to the Schooles of oratory, looking to the powdring of their words, and the dressing of the language, as much as to the setting and ordering of their own hair; Is not this a great evil and vanity, thus to regard the healing of the finger, when the heart is deadly sick? If thy mind be renewed in this, it will also appear, and for that vanity, there will be solid gravity.

[ V] Fifthly, Original sinne filleth the mind with exceeding great folly; So that no man born a natural fool is more to be pitied, then every man who by nature is a spiritual fool. Those conceited wise ones of the world, who condemne the godly for a company of fools, they are fools in the highest degree, as may easily be evinced: If so be (Job 4. 18.) God is said, To charge his Angels with folly, (and that, as some expound,) even the good Angels themselves, because that wisedome they have comparatively to Gods, is but folly; how much more is this true of man fallen, who hath lost that wisedome God once bestow∣ed upon him? If you ask, Wherein doth a natural mans folly appear? Truly in every thing he doth, Eccl. 10. 3, His wisdom: faileth him, and he saith to every one, he is a fool; Every oath, every lie, every drunken fit proclaimeth a man to be but a fool; If he had the wisedome of Gods Word he could never do so; especially the folly of man by nature is seen these waies.

1. In making himself merry with sinne. It is jollity and sport to him, to be fullfilling the lusts of the flesh, and is not this folly, to be playing with the flames of hell? as you see fools go laughing to the stocks, so do they to hell, Prov. 10. 23, It is a sport to a fool to do mischief; herein then thy foolish mind is seen, that thou canst laugh and sport it so in the actings of sinne, which are the preparatoryes to those everlasting burnings in hell.

2. Thy folly by nature is seen, In preferring a creature before God; what is this but the fools bable before the Tower of London, as the Proverb is? yet this folly is bound up in every man, till grace make him wiser; he loveth the creature more then God, he had rather have a drop then the ocean, earth then heaven, dirt then gold; Is not this greater folly then can be expressed? yet till regenerated, such a fool thou art, though thou art never so wise in thy own conceit.

3. We are naturally foolish, In that we attend only to those things that are for the present, and never at all look to eternity; becoming herein like bruit beasts, that regard only what is before them. Moses doth in the name of God wish, Oh that my people were wise (Deut. 32. 29.) that they would under∣stand their latter end! It is wisdome to look to the future; hence they say, Pru∣dens, is, qussi porro videns, he seeth a farre off; but take any natural man, doth all the wisdome he hath, ever make him to attend to eternity? what will be∣come of him at the day of judgement? now he is at ease, and in good liking, but what shall he do, when that great day shall come? he is farre from Hie∣rem's temper, thinking he heard alwaies that terrible noise sounding in his

eares, Arise and come to judgement; Oh thy folly then! who dost in effect say, Give me that which is sweet here, though hereafter I be tormented to all eternity.

4. Thy folly is abundantly discovered in this, that thou takest no paines to know the best things, the chiefest things, the things that most concerne thee. Naturally thou knowest nothing of God, or Christ, or the way to heaven, which yet is the proper end for which God made thee; if folly did not reign in thy under∣standing, thou wouldst not be so careless herein: Thou art carefull to know how to live in this world, but not how to live eternally in the world to come; Thou knowest how to buy and sell, how to plough and sow, but knowest not the principles of Religion, which must save thee, Doth not this proclaim thy folly?

5. Original sinne is discovered in our foolish mind, By the inconsiderateness that it is guilty of. It's want of consideration that damneth a man. Intelle∣ctus cogitabundus est principium omnis boni, Psal. 50. Oh consider this, ye that forget God Did a man consider the majesty of God, the dreadfullness of hell, ••he shortness of the pleasures of sinne, the mortality of the body and the im∣mortality of the soul, How could he sinne? This foolish inconsiderateness maketh man, though mortal, to procrastinate his conversion, he is alwaies be∣ginning to repent, beginning to reforme, Inter caetera mala, hoc habet stultitia, se••per incipit vivere.

6. Not to inlarge in this, Thy folly in thy mind is seen, By thy impru∣dence and injudiciousness; Thou dost not judge godliness, the favour of God and grace, better then the whole world; as the child thinketh his nut better then gold, Sapiens est cui res, sapiunt prout sunt; if thou wert wise, things would savour to thee as they are, earthly as earthly, heavenly as heavenly; so that the folly of man naturally is seen in this, that he savoureth not the things of God, he hath no judgement to esteem of the true pearl, and therefore will not part with the least thing to obtain it.

Sixthly, The mind hath lost its superiority in respect of the other parts of the [ VI] soul, and its subordination to God; both which were the great perfections thereof; For superiority and preheminency, the mind is now debased, and this light is put now, not under a bushel, but a dunghill. God indowed man with un∣derstanding, that it might be like a Queen in the soul, directing and ordering all actions to true happiness, Though the will be chief in power and efficacy; yet the understanding is in direction and counsel; Insomuch, That the will is called caeca potentia, a blind power of the soul, being essentially subordinated to fol∣low the dictates of the understanding; and if the will be thus subordinate, that is called a rational power participativè, though not formaliter: no wonder then if the sensitive and affectionate part of a man, his love, his grief, his anger, these were not to rise or stirre, but as the understanding did give orders to them; Thus was the understanding of a man placed in him, as the Sunne in the Firmament, to give light to all the powers of the soul; but now by origi∣nal corruption it's dethroned, it's ejected out of its power, and is made a ser∣vant to every lust that reigneth in the will, and the affections; hence it cometh about, That whatsoever a mans corrupt heart carryeth him unto, presently the mind of man, being like a bribed advocate, pleadeth for the lawfullness and the necessity of it. It is true indeed, we have a rule in Divinity, Nem•• potest credere, quia vult, No man can believe a thing to be true, meerly be∣cause he will, but yet the will and affections can so divert the understanding, or put mists and pretences before it, that now it's become like the Sunne in a foggy misty day, that cannot put forth its light: so that if you do ask, What is the true original cause of all heretical opinions, and corrupt practises? you may say, It's because the mind doth not keep up its primitive power. As the reason

given in the Judges, why so much Idolatry and other wickednesse was committed, was, because there was no King (no Governour) in Israel, every one did that which was right in his own eyes. Thus if you aske, Whence is that confusion in a mans opinion, in a mans practices? It's be∣cause the mind of a man is degraded, the will is carried out to what it list∣eth, every sinfull affection and passion doth what it pleaseth; So that where∣as all our affections and actions should have their first rise from the guidance of the minde; Now our lusts and affections doe first move, and then the understanding is imployed to defend and excuse the lawfulnesse of them: Oh then bewail this sad desolation come upon thee! Thy minde and judgement are become slaves and vassals to every unlawfull way, to plead for that, to defend that, to excuse that: Thus (as the Scripture) when it speaketh of a civil desolation, making a confusion upon the Governours thereof, saith, The heavens are turned into blacknesse, or, The Sunne and Moon into blood; so it is now upon the face of a mans soul; if reason and judgement were strong enough to doe their office, there would not be that insolency of the affections, and rebellion in our wils, which doth now wholly over∣pour us.

The second thing in this particular is, The subordination of it to God, and to his Rule. The mind of a man did then wholly follow the Rule God had prescri∣bed it. To believe, to think, to judge, as the Rule was, but now it's become heretical. It's prone to choose an opinion of its own, a Doctrine of its own; Although the word Heresie in it self, signifie neither good or evil, and therefore in Eusebius, Constantine applieth it to the Christian Religion, calling it heresie, as Tertullian doth the Christian Religion Secta, a Sect; yet in Ecclesiastical Writers, if not constantly in the Scripture, it is used in an ill sense, and signifieth an ele∣ction or adhering to a way of our own devising, and not that which is com∣manded by God. Tertullian cals Adam's sinne heresin, because committed of his own choice against Gods will: Insomuch that though there may be many parti∣cular causes of heresies, as ignorance, pride, discontent, covetousness, and such carnal principles; yet the main is, that proneness in the mind to lift up it self against God and his Rule, having lost its primitive subordination to God. This want of subordination to God and the Scriptures, is notably seen in Here∣tiques, who when they perceive Scripture against them, rather then submit, they will be guilty of Scripture-slaughter, as Tertullian called it, Marcion (saith he) cometh not with Stilo sed Machara, draweth his sword, and detruncateth a great part of Scripture: Others, though not so audacious, yet because they will not submit, do not Materiam ad Scripturas, but Scripturas, and Materi∣am accommodare, not submit their opinions to the Scripture, but the Scri∣pture to their opinions. Valentinus openly professed, He did amend the Gospel.

[ VII] Seventhly, Herein is original corruption greatly depriving the mind of a man, In that it maketh a man pro••e to deceive and cosen himself, so that sinne is pre∣sented as sweet or profitable, and good to be imbraced, holy things are presented as difficult and irksom; Especially this self-deceiving is seen in the judging of our selves good and right, when indeed we are abominable and loathing to God; Whence is it that every mans ways are clean in his own eyes? Whence is it that every man is a Pagmalion in love with himself, or rather a Pharisee to justifie himself? Yea, as it is, Psal. 50. 21. They judge of God like themselves, loving what they love, pleased with what they please: As the Ethiopians, though Christians, yet worshipping the Vir∣gin Mary, paint her like a Blackmore, because they are black: Now what a fear∣full pollution is this, to deceive our selves about God, about sin, about godliness, our own souls? So that when we can have a pretence, or a colour to justifie our selves, then we rejoyce: This self-deceiving is often taken notice of by the Scri∣pture,

2. Pet. 2. 13. Gal. 6. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. & Jam. 1. 22. it's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Deceiving your own selves, putting a fallacy, or a false syllogisme upon our selves; And indeed it might be easily shewed, how many false syllogismes a man imposeth upon himself; Doth not Presumption argue à divisis ad conjuncta, from the means divided, yet to obtain the end? Yea, in every prayer, in every religious duty the natural man taketh, Non causam pro cau∣sâ, because he performeth these duties, he thinketh he serveth God, where∣as it is not an holy principle, or gracious motive putteth him upon them, but formality, customarinesse, or some other inferiour motive; Thus every natural man deceiveth himself by false causes, he thinketh he repents, he lo∣veth God, he hath a good heart, he shall be saved, when alas all this while thou art deceived, and deceiving of thy self; Mourne then under this na∣tive-pollution, that thou art so deceived in all things about thy self, about the work of grace, about what is flesh, and what is spirit, that thou art deluded in all things, and takest counterfeit for that which is true and genuine. Under this head we may comprehend all that craft and subtilty in men (as in the Jesuites) to maintain Idolatry or Heresie; For the Devil as at first, so still he delights to use Serpents, because they are more crafty then others; The craft also in man naturally to do mischief, (for which they are compared in Scripture to Foxes,) doth declare, how original sinne hath all over infected the mind.

Eighthly, The great pollution of original sinne upon our minds is seen, In the [ VIII] pronenesse to vain, idle, sinfull and ••oving thoughts, so that these do discover an unclean fountain of the heart more then any thing. Whence do these sparks arise, but from that furnace of sinne within thee? The Air is not fuller of Flies; Aegypt was not fuller of Frogs, then every mans heart is naturally of idle, vain, foolish and impertinent thoughts; Thoughts, they are the immediate product and issue of original sinne; The first born, they are streams that come immediately from the fountain: Now certainly, if a man had by nature an holy sanctified mind, he would also have holy and sanctified thoughts. Think you that Adam in integrity, or the good Angels are troubled with thoughts as we are? For all the while a man is natural, he never had a good thought in him, he might have a thought of good, but not a good thought; For as every Cogitatio mali, is not Cogitatio malâ. We may think of evil to abhorre and detest, and this thought of evil is good; So in a natural man, though he may have a thought about good, yet it is not in a good manner, and therefore evil, though the object matter be good; What then will prostrate thee, and make thee lie grovelling upon the ground, loathing thy self, if this do not? Amongst the millions and millions of thoughts which thou hast, there is not one, but it is either vain, proud, idle, or impertinent; yea our thoughts are not in our own power, no more then the birds that flie in the air, but they arise antecedently to our own will and delibe∣ration; And certainly, if vain thoughts be such a burden to a regenerate man, if they do captivate and inthrall him, which made one cry out, Libenter (Domine) bonus esse vellem, sed cogitationes meae non patiuntur, I would gladly be good, but my thoughts will not suffer me; No wonder, if to the natural man, who is under the power of original sinne, that sinfull thoughts hurry him away without any resistance.

Ninthly, Original pollution doth greatly defile the mind of a man in the mu∣tability [ IX] and instability of it? Insomuch that the judgement of every natural man, destitute of true light and faith, which doth onely consolidate the soul, is like a reed shaken with every wind; he is mutable and various, ready every day, or every year to have a new Faith, and a new Religion; This maketh the Apo∣stle inform us, That one end of the Ministry, Ephes. 4. 14. is, That we be not

carried away with every wind of Doctrine; Such empty straws and feathers are we, that any new opinion doth presently seduce us; and therefore the Scripture doth press a sound mind, and an heart established with grace, which is the spe∣cial preservative against such instability. Aquinas maketh this the reason of the good Angels confirmation in grace, and that they cannot now sinne, because such is the perfection and immutability of their natures, that what their understand∣ing doth once adhere unto, they cannot change. Indeed it is thus with God, that his knowledge is unchangeable, but there is no reason to attribute this to Angels, and therefore their confirmation in good, is not so much to be attributed to any intrinsecal cause in themselves, as to the grace of God establishing them; But how farre short was man newly created of such immutability? How much more then man fallen? From this pollution it is, that we have so many apostates, that there are Seekers, that there are so many Neutrals, that there are so many who think any, in any Religion may be saved. It is true, there may be a just cause of changing our minds in Religion, as when educated in Popery, or when we have received any heretical opinions, but I speak here of that instability which is natu∣rally in the mind of a man, that though he be in the truth, yet there is a prone∣ness to desert it, and to discover much lenity in the matters of Religion. The Remonstrants go too farre this way, commending this sinfulnesse under the name of modesty and humility, and therefore, though in Fundamentals they will grant we may say, This our faith is, This we doe believe, yet in other points (which though not fundamentals, yet the errors about them may greatly derogate from the glory of Christ and his grace, as also much prejudice the consolations of those who truly fear God, as their opinions do.) They commend those expressions, Ita nobis videtur, and Salvo meliorum judicio. It is our sententia, not our fi∣des: Now if this were said only in some points, disputed amongst the Orthodox, that are at a great distance from Fundamentals, it might be received; but they extend this further, if not to the foundation-stones, yet to those that immediately joyn to them, and so do 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, remove such things that will in time endanger the whole structure of Christianity, and so from Remon∣strantisme proceed to Socinianisme, which is adificari and ruinam, as Ter∣tullian expresseth it (De praesc.) Such an edification many unsetled spirits meet with.

[ X] Tenthly, Original sinne doth pollute the mind of a man with pride and vain-glory, so that he is easily puffed up with his own conceits, and altogether ignorant of his ig∣norance. The Apostle Col. 2. 18. saith of some, Vainly puffed up with a fleshly mind. This Tumor, this Tympany in the mind hath been the cause of most heresies in the Church. The Gnosticks boasted in their knowledge, and had their name from it. The Eunomians did vainly and blasphemously brag,

That they knew God, as well as he knew himself.

And some in these later dayes have not been afraid to compare themselves above the Apostles for gifts and illuminations. So that whereas every one should with wise Augur, say humbly, I have not the un∣derstanding of a man, I am more bruitish then any man: Or with Austin, when one admiring his learning used this expression, Nihil te latet; he answered again, Nihil tristius legi, because he knew the falshood of it, because of his ignorance even in innumerable places of Scripture: They equalize themselves to Angels, yea to God himself. This pride, this self-conceit is a worm bred in the rose, and the more parts men have, the more doth this disease increase. Matthew Paris relateth of a great Scholar, much admired for his learning, who in his Lectures once in the Schools, proving the Divine Nature, and also Incarnation of Christ with mighty applause, did most arrogantly say,

That Christ was beholding to him for this Dispute, that he owed, as it were his Divine Nature to his learn∣ing, as if he had not been God, if he had not proved it;

upon which blasphe∣my

he was immediately stricken with ignorance, and such sottishnesse, that he was afterwards taught the Lords Prayer by a little childe. This pride of minde is worse then all other pride; And certainly that is a great effect of original sinne upon us, that we are apt to take such contemplative de∣light about our own notions and apprehensions, being therein guilty of spi∣ritual fornication. This pride of minde is seen also in owning and defend∣ing even the truths of God, not as his, but as they are our own opinions, out of which we may raise our owne glory, whereas truth is not mine, of thine, or a third mans, but the Lords, Cave ne privatum dixeris ne à veritate privemur.

Eleventhly, Original sinne polluteth the mind in regard of the difference and di∣versity [ XI] of thoughts and judgements of men in the things of God. Had Adam conti∣nued in the state of integrity, all had been of one mind, of one way: In Hea∣ven also, when all imperfection shall be done away, they shall all think and speak the same things; but now there are divisions and different ways in Religion, one ad∣miring that which another condemneth, which proclaimeth that man hath a Babel upon his understanding. It is no wonder, that among Philosophers there were such infinite Sects; for if you view that part of the world which owneth the Christian Religion, what varieties, what differences, what oppositions are there, and that though we have the Scripture to guide us? This doth evidently mani∣fest, That the mind of man is filled with deep pollution by original sinne.

Twelfthly, The horrible pollution of the mind is seen in its aptnesse to receive all [ XII] the Devils impressions and delusions, so that the most horrid and dreadfull blasphe∣mies that can be imagined, have yet been entertained and broached by some men. Now the Devil could never possesse the mind of a man so, but because of this ori∣ginal corruption. Some there were called Caiani, that boasted of Cain, and commended Esau, yea Judas, and that he did not sinne in betraying Christ. Some have called the holy Trinity, Triceps Cerberus. Some have thought them∣selves Christ, and the Spirit of God. Now how could these devillish delusions be ever believed, if the mind had been free from sinne? The Enthusiasmes; The Revelations that the Monasterii Anabaptis, as also John of Leiden pretended to, upon which they acted resolutely and violently, may abundantly teach us, what monstrous births the minde of a man will deliver, if left to it self: So that what is said of the Devil incubus, bodily, is much more true of the minde: What will not the understanding of a man believe, and be resolute for, when it hath once, (Pleniorem gratiam à Diabolo) obtained more of the Devils grace, as Tertullian speaks ironically of some Heretiques, De praesc.

Thirteenthly, In this is original pollution discovered, that the knowledge we [ XIII] have, and the light we enjoy▪ whether imbred or acquired, without Gods grace we are the worse for it; So that our understanding in us is but like a sword in a mad mans hand, by it we fight against God, and set with all enmity against divine things. The more knowledge without grace, the greater opposition to Christ. The learned men very often have been the Patriarchs of all heresies; They brought in a Stoieum, Platonicum, Dialecticum Christianismum, as Tertullian speaketh; They brought in a Platonical, an Aristotolical Christianity: Insomuch that Religion hath suffered farre more from unsound learning then ignorance, though indeed sanctified learning hath been greatly instrumental to propagate the Kingdome of Christ.

Lastly, The mind is polluted and weakned by original sinne, even in the know∣ledge [ XIV] of natural things: Insomuch that there is little or nothing known certainly by us; Our knowledge cometh in by the senses, and they (as Philo alludeth)

like Lot's children make their father drunk, they hinder us of true knowledge. The Academici thought nothing was known certainly in natural things; And Cerda on Tertullian makes Lactantius and Arnobius to incline to that opinion; Certainly, our knowledge in natural things is very weak and confused. The Devil indeed, though he hath lost all spiritual knowledge, yea, and (as some say) is wounded much in his natural abilities, yet still he retaineth much knowledge, called therefore 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but man hath a bo∣dy that doth much clogg and presse down his soul, and hence his ignorance is greater.

Thus we have in a short Table represented the manifold pollution upon mans understanding by original sinne; more particulars happily might have been in∣stanced, but these may suffice to make us astonished and amazed at our selves: Oh how incurable art thou when thy mind is thus defiled! that is the watchman in thy soul to keep off all sinne, and if the watchman be blind, how hopeless is it? It's this that makes such an obstruction in conversion, which is wrought first up∣on the mind; while therefore that ignorance, that folly, that unbelief reigneth there, no Ministry, no Preaching doth any good: Oh that thou didst know thy ignorance, what a beast thou art! How foolish and destitute of all true wis∣dom? How quickly then wouldst thou spread out thy arms to receive Christ in the fulnesse of his Offices? Yea it's the corruption on your minds that makes you not able to understand even this Sermon: Oh then be as those blind men, crying and praying, Lord, that we might receive our sight!