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

¶. 2.

IN the second place, That is a false position which the Remonstrants have (Ex∣am. Censurae cap. 11. pag. 128.) that the difficulty which new converts have to leave their former lusts, doth arise chiefly from their former custome and exer∣cise in wayes of impiety, not from original sinne. For they distinguish of godly men such as are incipients, new beginners, that are but newly converted unto Christ, and these they say have a great conflict within them, they have much ado to leave their former lusts and impieties they have been accustomed unto: and then there are the Adulti, such who are proficients, and grown up; now these they say may arise to such a measure of holiness, as to be without any con∣flict at all between flesh and spirit, or to feel it very rarely: but that is directly to contradict this Text, which speaketh it universally of all that have the Spirit of God in them while in this life, they do meet with opposition not only from the devil without, but the flesh within: Therefore they would elude this Text, as if it did not mean an actual reluctancy or lusting against one another, but only po∣tential, that it is the nature of the flesh and Spirit thus to oppose one another, for this is say they against the nature of habits, seeing it is the property of ha∣bits to make the will readily and willingly will and do those things, which for∣merly were grievous and troublesome, but the Scripture speaketh of the actual reluctancy; it doth not say it may or it can, but it doth lust; and as for habits, though we grant when these supernatural habits of grace are infused into the soul, we are carried out with readiness, delight, and willingness in those holy duties which formerly were tedious and grievous unto us; yet because neither the habits of grace are perfect within us, nor the acts that flow from them, therefore it is that there is a mixture of our dross with the spirits gold. For al∣though the habits of grace are immediately inspired or infused from God, and so as they come from him are perfect; yet because that is a true rule, Quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis; whatsoever is received, is received according to the capacity and qualification of the subject: Hence it is, that these habits of grace are imperfect as received and seated in us; and whereas again they reply, that suppose this Text be understood of actual reluctancy, yet it is not generally to be extended to all, but limited to the Galathians, who were but new converts, but beginners, and therefore had this fight within them; that is also false: The Apostle saith the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh in the general: It is an universal Proposition, neither is it any more to be limited to the Galathians, then the duty enjoyned, which is to walk in the Spirit; so that as the duty belongeth to every godly man, the reason likewise must, and therefore the Apostle doth not say, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit in you, (they put (in vobis) into the Text) but speaketh uni∣versally of all that have the Spirit of God: Besides this Text opposeth them, for grant these Galathians were new converts, yet the cause of the combate within them, is not attributed to their former custome of impiety as they would have it, but to the flesh, which is original sinne within them, when therefore a man is truly converted, that difficulty to leave his former lusts doth not arise because the habits of sinne do still abide in him, but because original sinne is still living in us; and therefore according to the greater or lesser measure of grace healing and sanctifying of us, so we find the greater opposition in parting with the sinnes we formerly committed.