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

¶. 5.

The Pride and Haughtiness of the Will.

THirdly, The great and notable pollution of the Will, Is the pride and haugh∣tiness of it, not only refusing subjection to the Will of God, and to be under that, (as hath been shewed) but in some remarkable particu∣lars.

The first whereof is, an affectation of equality with God himself. Thus the will of a poor weak wretch, that cannot turn a white hair into black, whose breath is in his nostrils, that hath the same originals for his body as a worm hath, yet the aspireth after a Deity, and would be like God him∣self. As

1. in attempting to make gods, and then to worship them. What pride and vanity is in man to take upon him to make what he intends to worship; so that what man pleaseth shall be a god, and what pleaseth him not shall be none, Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit. Thus whereas God at first made man after his image now man maketh God after his image; Besides the horrible blindness that is upon the mind in this thing, there is also pride and arrogancy of the will; what is this but to assume superiority over their own gods, which yet they worship, and adore? But

2. This pride of the will is more conspicuously manifested, In affecting to be like the true God, not to endure him to be a superior above us: While our first parents had not any internal pollution at all upon them, yet this sinne did presently insinuate them, whereby they aspired after a Deity: therefore the Devil tempted them with this sutable bait, Ye shall be like Gods knowing good and evil: That sinne of Adam hath still a more peculiar impression upon man∣kind: Whence came that abominable and blasphemous custome into the world of deifying men, (which they called Daimons,) but from that inbred pride of the will, desiring to be like God▪ Ezek. 28. 2. Thus it was with that Prince of Tyrus, he lifted up himself and said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, thou

hast ser thine heart as the heart of God; What detestable and loath some arrogan∣acy is here? Oh the patience of God, that doth not immediately consume such a wretch, as he did Herod who sinned not so highly, for he did not proclaim he was God only the people by way of flattering cryed out the voice of God, and not of man, which because he did not disclaim but secretly owned, there∣fore was such a remarkable punishment inflicted upon him. We see from these instances what pride lurketh in mans will, there is the cockatrice egg which may quickly prove to be a flying Serpent: This pride is thought also to be the sinne of the Devil, whereby he was not contented with the station God had put him, but was ambitious of a divine nature, as if he with Christ might think it no robbery to be equal with God. This unspeakable arrogancy did shew it self notoriously in some great Potentates of the world, Caius Caesar especially, (for which cause Grotius though absurdly maketh him to be the Antichrist) that did exalt himself above all that is called God. This mad∣ness of pride was as visible in Alexander, who though sometimes through the consciousness of humane imbecillity (as when he was wounded and saw bloud fall from him) would refuse such a thought, yet at other times he did industri∣ously affect to be related among the number of the Gods, and to have divine worship performed to him, and as the sonne of Jupiter, Hammon, would be pictured with hornes, and Jupiters Preist meeting of him instead of that form, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, did purposely mistake, saying, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Haile thou sonne of Jupiter; yea, he sends into Greece, that by a publique Edict, he might be ac∣knowledged for a god, which the Lacedemonians in scoff did without scruple admit, saying, Qundoquidem Alexander vult esse Deus, Deus esto; Seeing Alexander will be god, let him be one: But the Athenians being more scru∣pulous, or at least of greater hatred against him, punished Demades the Ora∣tor for advising them to receive him as god; for he had said, Look (Oye A∣thenians) Nè dum coelum custodies terram amittatis, while ye keep heaven ye loose the earth: This carnal counsel, is admired as infallible policy almost by all the Potentates of the world; Thus you see what pride is latent in the will of a man, and how farre it may rise by temptations; though the experience of humane imbecillities may quickly rebuke such mad insolencies, yet some ex∣cuse or other they use to put it off, as when it thundered, one asked Alexan∣der, wheather he could do so; he put it of, and said, he would not terrifie his friends: if you say this corruption of the will is not in every man by nature, I grant it for the degree, but it is habitually and radically there. Let any man be put in such temptations, as Herod and Alexander were, and left alone to this inbred pride and original pollution, it would break out into as great a flame: Origi∣nal sinne needeth time to conceive, and bring forth its loathsome mon∣sters.

3. This pride of the will is seen, In the presumption and boldness of it, to in∣quire into the consels of his Majesty, and to call God himself to account for his administrations. Rom. 9. 20, who art thou (O man) that disputest against God? [O man,] that is spoken to humble and debase him; Wilt thou call God to an account? Shall God be thought unjust, because thou canst not comprehend his depths? Certainly God hath more power over us then the Potter over his clay, for the Potter doth not make the materials of that, he only tempreth it, wher∣as God giveth us our very beings; and therefore it is intolerable impudency for us to ask God, why he made us so? yet how proud and presumptousis man, to dispute about Gods precedings, whereas the great Governors of the world will not allow any Subject to say, why dost thou so to them? The Psalmist com∣plaineth of this pride in some men, Psal. 12. 4. Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us? Thus Pharaoh said to Moses, who is the Lord that I should obey him? This pride in the will, whereby men will audaciously intrude into things

they know not, hath made these heretiques in judgements, the Pelagians and Socinians, Their will doth not captivate their understanding to Gods Ipse dixit, for us the Schoolemen observe truly, in every act of faith, there is re∣quired pia affectio, and inclinatio voluntatis, and when that is refractory and unsubmitting, it causeth many damnable heresies in the judgement; for it is the pertinacy of the will, that doth greatly promote the making of an here∣tique.

Lastly, This pride of the will is seen, In raging and rebellious risings up against God in his proceedings against us. In this the pride of the will doth sadly discover it self, what rage, what fretting and discontent do we find in our hearts, when Gods will is to chastise or afflict us? If we could bind the armes of the Omnipotent to prevent his blowes, how ready is presumptuous man to do it? It is therefore a great work of regeneration to mollity and soften the will, to make it sacile and ductile, so as to be in what forme God would have us to be. When David had such holy power over his will, 2 Sam. 15. 26, that in his miserable flight from Absalom, he could say, If ye have no delight in me, behold here I am, let him do to me as seemeth good to him; he could abound and want, be rich and poor, a king and no king all in a day, this argued the great work of sanctification upon his will. This iron was now in the fire, and so could be molleated as God would have it; Thus in the fore mentioned in∣stance of Paul, when he cryed out, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Here was a tender humble resignative of the whole will to God, without any con∣ditions or provisoes; But oh the pride and unruliness of the will, if left to its natural pollution! When God shall any wayes bring his judgements upon us, how impatiently do we rise against God, even as if we would be revenged of his Majesty? As it is said of the Thracians, when it thundereth and light∣neth, they shoot against heaven, as if they would bring God to order. Xerxes scourged the sea, and sent a Bill of defiance against the hill of Athos. Augustus being beaten with a tempest at sea, defied their god Neptune, and caused his image to be taken down from the place where the rest of their gods were. Yea Charron speaketh of a Christian King, who having received a blow from God, swore be would be revenged, and gave a commandment, that for ten yeares no man should pray to him, or speak of him; I tremble to mention these dreadfull instances, but they are usefull to demonstrate, what pride and unsubdued contumacy is in the will of man, even against God him∣self, when he crosseth us of our wills: Yea do not the godly themselves though grace hath much mollified their will, and made it in a great measure obsequi∣ous to God, yet do they not mourne, and pray, and groane under the pride of their will? do they not complain, oh they cannot bring their will to Gods will! They cannot be content and patient under Gods dispensations, they fret, they mutter, they repine. Is not all this because the will is proud, the will doth not submit? Heavenly skill and art to order thy will, would make thee find rest in every estate.