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

¶. 10.

Of the Combate in the godly between the Flesh and the Spirit, and how it may be discerned from the former.

IN the third place, There is the Combate in regenerate persons between the work of grace, and the flesh in them. The former was only between the natural conscience and lust; The second between the Spirit of God, but moving and working only in a man, and his corruption; The last between the Spirit of God inhabiting and dwelling in a man, and the flesh in him. So that if a Christian ask, How shall I know whether the combate I feel be between the Spirit and the flesh, or conscience, and my lust? Though practical Divines give many differences, yet briefly in these three particulars, one conflict may be discovered from the other.

1. From the principle and root. In the godly this ariseth from a total renova∣tion, or the Image of God placed in a man: In the other it is only from partial illumination or natural light.

2. In the motive. This combate in the godly is upon holy grounds, out of hatred to sinne, out of love to that which is holy. In the other it is out of ter∣rour and slavish fear, it is because they would not be damned, it is because of horrour upon them, not any delight in God.

3. In the manner. In the other the fight is between two parts of the soul, only the mind against the appetite; or if there be any work upon the heart, it is but transitory and vanishing; whereas in the godly man this combate is univer∣sal, he hath will against will, love against love, as well as his mind against these. Thus Austin (ibidem.) speaketh of the two wils he had, his carnal will, and his spiritual will; his meaning is, that because his will was not so full and effica∣cious as it should, therefore he had two wils, as it were, Non igitur monstrum, &c. saith he: It is not therefore a monster partly to will, and partly to will; but the sickness of the mind that cannot rise up fully to what is good; and therefore there are two wils, because one is not wholly and fully carried out to that which is good. This expression of Austin fully answereth that Objection, when they demand, How can the will, will and nill at the same time? It is a con∣tradiction to say so. But Austin answereth, It's therefore called two wils, or therefore it is said to will and nill, because it doth will sickly and faintly, It's

not so throughly and totally carried out to God as it ought to be; and this halt∣ing like that of Jacobs thigh will go with us to the grave. Thus we are as weak men that are partly well, and partly sick, as the twy-light, when it is partly light, and partly darkness, or as wine mingled with water; not that in such a mixture we are able to say, this part is water, and the other part is meer wine: So we must not think that in a regenerate man, one part is meerly spiri∣tual, the other meerly carnal, but the corruption in a man doth adhere to every part that is sanctified; and therefore as the principle is mixed, so are the actions which flow from it. But it is time to hasten to the last Proposition, which is,