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

¶. 10.

Of the Regenerates Freedome from the Dominion of sinne; And whether it be by the Suppression of it, or by the Abolishing part of it.

THat though original sinne be in a regenerate person, yet it is not in its domini∣on there, it is in part abolished. For there are these things to be consider∣ed in this inbred defilement; there is,

1. The Guilt.

2. The Dominion, and both these are removed in a regenerate person.

3. There is the sense or presence of it, and that is not taken away but by death.

4. Some adde the Root of it, and that (they say) is not destroyed till the body be consumed to ashes. For although it be true, that death put∣teth an end to all sinne, yet that must be understood of an ultimate and final death; otherwise if it be a dispensatory death, as it was to Lazarus and some others; as that did not put a period to their bodily miseries, when they lived again, so neither did it to sinfulness in their souls. But even Lazarus and such like persons raised upon a special economy were regenerated but in part; and this conflict of flesh and Spirit was in them, and so they needed to pray for forgiveness of sinne. But though we must acknowledge, that original sinne hath not the power in a godly man it once had. All the difficulty is, Whether it be by suppression of it one∣ly, or abolishing part of it; and if original sinne be in part diminished, How can the whole of it be propagated to the child? Or why may not the last part of it be consumed in this life? It may be this Question may be more subtil then profitable. Scotus, as Pererius alledgeth him (in Rom. cap. 7.) thinketh that in a godly man original sinne is not at all a∣bated, onely grace is every day augmented, and so that cannot weigh us down, as it did before: As (saith he) if an Eagle should have any weight upon her, but the strength of her wings be increased, then though the weight were not diminished, yet because her strength is increased, it would not hinder her in flying. But to answer this Question, we must conclude, that in regeneration original sinne is more then suppressed, there is a qualitative change, and so a diminishing of darknesse in the mind, by light; of evil in the will by holinesse: So that the encreasing of

these graces do necessarily argue the decreasing of original sinn. And For this purpose the Scripture useth those termes of crucifying and morti∣fying; onely when we say, original sinne is diminished: You must not understand it hath quantative parts, as if they were cut off by degrees, but potestative, that is, the power and efficacy of original sinne is not so lively, so vehement as it was once, yet where it is thus weakned, a regenerate person begetteth a sonne in an unregenerate estate, because he is the sonne of Adam fallen, and is not a father as he is godly, but as he is a man. Now though it doth thus tenaciously adhere unto us, yet death will give it a final and full blow: not death meerly, as it is a dissolution in a na∣tural way (so that Castellio doth absurdly endeavour to perplex this Do∣ctrine with curious interrogatories) but as the nature of it is altered by Christ, the Spirit of God putting forth its greatest efficacy at that time: Yea though a godly man should be so overcome by a disease, that he were not able to act faith in Christ at that time, for the utter sub∣duing of sinne in him, yet his faith formerly put forth on Christ for that pur∣pose, and the promise of God at that time will effectually conquer all. This being so, how ought the godly gladly to submit to death? The terrible vi∣zour of it is now taken away. No vain thoughts, no wordly or distempered affections shall ever molest thee more. It is not death to thee, but to thy sinne. It is not a death to thy graces and comforts, but to thy corruptions, Miseria non home moritur, said the Martyr, when he was to die. It is misery not man that dieth.