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

SECT. III.

Scripture Proof of the sinfull pollution of the Body.

THat the very body of a man is sinfull and needeth sanctification, is plain from these Texts, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having these promises, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holinesse; This is spoken to those also that are regenerated, none is perfect, they must be perfecting; As Apelles, when he drew his line would write faciebat in the Imperfect tense, not fecit, as if he had finished it, he would be still making it more exact; so should we be in our best holy duties, Amabam not amavi, credebane, not credidi, there remaineth a further complement and fulness to be added to our best gra∣ces; Now this perfection is by cleansing of the flesh and spirit, that is the body and the soul. It is a great errour among some Papists, that they hold the spirit and mind of a man free from original contagion, and therefore confine it only to the inferiour bodily parts, but that hath sufficiently been confuted, yet we deny not but the bodily part of man is likewise greatly contaminated, and like an impure vessel defileth whatsoever cometh into it. The uncleanness of the body appeareth also from that command Rom. 12. 1. where the Apostle enjoy∣neth, that we should present our bodies a living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable; So that whatsoever we do by our body it is to be holy and acceptable unto God: Now this exhortation was needless, if we did not naturally offer up our bodies a sacrifice to sinne, and to the Devil: For meerly a natural man serveth sinne and the Devil with all the parts of his body: Therefore the Apostle speaking to persons converted, Rom. 7. 19. saith, As ye have yeelded your members ser∣vants to uncleanness and to iniquity, so now yeeld your members servants to righ∣teousness; Thy eye was once the Devils and sinnes, thy tongue was, thy ear was, by all these sinne was constantly committed, so now have a sanctified bo∣dy, an holy eye, a godly ear, an heavenly tongue, a pure body; And indeed we need not runne for Texts of Scripture, experience doth abundantly confirm the preparedness and readiness of the body to all suitable and pleasing iniquity; Consider likewise that pregnant place, Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a pure heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con∣science, and our bodies washed with pure water; As the heart must be cleansed from all sinnes, that our consciences may condemn us for, so our bodies like∣wise must be washed with pure water; it is an allusive expression to the legal custom, which was for all before they drew nigh to the service of God, to sprinkle themselves with pure water, to take off the legal uncleanness of the body; And thus we must still in a spiritual way, that so the body may be fitted for Gods service: As it is said of Christ, Heb. 10. 5. A body thou hast prepared for me, because the Spirit of God did so purifie that corpulent mass, of which Christs body was made, that being without all sinne, he was thereby fitted for the work of a Mediator; For as for the Socinian Interpretation, who would

apply it to Christs body, made immortal and glorious, as if it were to be under∣stood of Christ entring into Heaven, the Context doth evidently confute it, that which the Apostle, following the Septuaginnt in the original, calleth, Preparing the body, out of which it is alledged, Ps. 40. 6. It is, my ears hast thou opened, aliuding to the Jewish custom, who when a servant would not leave his Master, his ears were to be boared, and so he was to continue for ever with him; The ears were boared, because they are the instrument of hearing and obedience, and thereby was signified, that he would diligently hearken to his Masters commands: Thus it was with Christ, his ears were opened, his whole body prepared to do the will of God; Now as it was thus with Christ, so in some respect it must be with us; God must prepare and fit a body for us, till grace sanctifie and polish it, there is no readiness to any holy duty, The seeing eye, and the hearing ear, God is said to make both, Prov. 20. 12. By these instances out of Scripture, you see what a Leprosie of sin hath spread over the body as well as the soul: Oh that therefore we were sensible of these sinfull bodies that are such clogs to us, such burdens to us in the way to Heaven! But let us proceed to shew the sinful∣ness thereof in particulars.