First, Though our natural generation from corrupted Parents, be the means
by which we all are born polluted and depraved, yet this doth not exclude the
justice of God, and his righteous Decree, that from a sinfull fountain shall
arise such polluted streams, from such a bitter root also bitter fruit, but doth
necessarily presuppose it. So that the just judgement of God in punishing of all
mankind, for Adam's first transgression must alwayes be acknowledged, and
we must not separate the natural propagation of sinne from the sentence and
Decree of God; For if this were the only reason, that we became guilty of
Adam's sinne, because in his lions, then all Adam's other sinnes should be made
ours, as well as that first act of disobedience in eating of the foridden fruit,
and the sinnes of our immediate parents in whose loines we were, should be
transmitted to us, as well as Adam's; yea happily, if this were so, then the
longer original sinne hath been propagated, it would still grow more evil, and
thereby men in the later age of the world become more polluted with original
sinne, then men in the former age; but Cain and Abel, who were the imme∣diate
off-spring of Adam, were as deeply plunged in this native defilement, as
any are now. Therefore some learned men, though in this Controversie they
do allow the phrase of the Propagation of original sinne, because commonly
used, yet would gladly have a more commodious and fit expression; Hence
they do more willingly use the word Traduction, or happily transmitting and
transfusing; for the sinne is not properly propagated, but the humane nature
to which original corruption adhereth, because we have not that so properly
from our parents, though by them, as of Adam; for the reason why upon
the conjunction of soul and body an Infant is immediately defiled with sinne, is
not because born of such parents, but because of Adam; and therefore though
they be the cause of being a man, yet Adam is of being a sinfull man; So that
as all the lines from the circumference do equally meet in the center; Thus do
all mankind in Adam, and he that is now born, doth as immediately partake of
Adam's sin, as Cain did, though so many thousand years ago born immediately
of Adam; Original sin then doth not in length of time either increase or de∣crease,
but we all have our polluted natures, as polluted, directly from Adam,
and immediately, though as nature from our parents, and so administer the sub∣ject
to which original is applied, and so in a remote distance from our common
parent; Let not then any man think, what should we trouble our selves
with Adam's sinne, and complain of him, who lived so many years ago?
What is his transgression to us, who live so many generations after him?
For thou hast this natural pollution, as immediately from him, as if thou
hadst been his immediate son, neither is thy parents sinfulness communicated to
thee, simply because thy parents, but because Adams, who was the common pa∣rent;
This rightly considered would affect us as much as if we had lived immedi∣ately
upon Adam's fall, neither would the space of so many years since his trans∣gression
at all abate our sad and aggravating thoughts of it.