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

¶. 2.

2. In regard of the first Motions and Risings of them.

SEcondly, The sinfulness of these passions is seen, In regard of the first motions and risings of them; whereas God made them at first to serve the more noble parts of the soul, and to stirre at their command; Now upon every temptation presented, they flie about us as so many Hornets, and we cannot keep them down; Adam being made in integrity, as he had a command over all the beasts of the field, and birds of the air, so also much more over his affections and passi∣ons, which were the bruitish part in him; He was, as the Poets seign of their Aeolus who had all the winds in a bladder, and so could make them blow when he pleased and no longer: Thus Adam could love, desire, as he pleased; These did not move in him, till he commanded: But now wo and again, wo to us who are brought into such vassalage, that we are indeed Servi servorum, slaves to slaves; Now our love riseth whether we will or no; now our fear, our anger breaketh into the soul, and it cannot resist it: Now that which Aristotle said of anger, is true of the other passions, that they are like an unnurtured dog, which runneth and fastens upon an object before his master setteth him on; or like an over-hasty servant that runneth upon his errand, before he doth understand it: This then is greatly to be bewailed, that our affections rise first in us, they move before our understanding moveth; These swarms flie out before the King-Bee leadeth them the way; That expression concerning Christ, where it is said, He was troubled, is noted to be in the active sense, in the original 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, John 11. 33. He troubled or moved himself; for it was not with the holy humane na∣ture of Christ, as it is with ours, he being without sinne, had the Sovereign power over every affection that was in him, he loved and grieved, as he pleased, they were under the free exercise of his will, but we are sold under these affecti∣ons, they bind us and lead us whether we would not: Oh what an unspeakable

glorious priviledge are we deprived of; What an admirable honour is it to have a command and power over our own selves, our own affections? Doth not Solo∣mon say, Prov. 16▪ 32. He that ruleth his spirit, is better then he that win∣neth a City; He is more then the mighty ones of the world that can master his affections? How many that have conquered others in the world, have yet themselves been conquered by their inordinate affections? The very Heathens did give testimony to this, that it was Melius imperat re sibi, quam aliis, to have command over himself, then over all the world. Luther that great Reformer, who removed the Mass, Indulgences, and many other soul abominations out of the Church, yet could not sometimes remove sinfull passions, especially anger from his own breast, which made Melancthon of a more moderate spirit, speak in an Ex temporary verse to him, when he was once in a great passion,

Vince Animos irasque tuas qui caetera vincis.

This Pope in Luther's belly (as he would call it) was more difficultly ovecome then the Pope of Rome.