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

SECT. VIII.

Repentance may be taken either largely or strictly.

LEt therefore David's example here in the Text, be more to thee, than what ten thousand cavillers may say unto thee, onely you must know, that when we speak of sorrow and repentance about this sinne, we may take repent∣ance largely or strictly for any kind of holy sorrow and humiliaton of soul, and that because God is displeased with us, because we have that which is contrary to his holy Law, and so is offensive to him, and damnable to us; and in this re∣spect we are in a deep measure to humble our selves for original sinne, as being a most grievous and hainous sinne, the guilt whereof would press us into the lowest hell, did not Gods grace interpose, or else it may be strictly taken for a change of our mind, or an alteration of that purpose and will we once had: Now in this strict sense, though it be our duty with sorrow to be humbled for original sinne, yet we cannot be properly said to repent of it, because it was not a sinne ever committed by us personally, or through our own actual will. So that al∣though we may not so properly (it may be) exhort men to repent of this ori∣ginal sinne, yet we must press them to a deep and daily humiliation under it, and that not as a punishment, or an affliction only, but as a true and proper sin; So that as without confession and sorrow no actual sinne will be forgiven unto a man,

so neither will original sinne, and therefore we do by consequence in the Lords Prayer, when we say, Forgive us our sinnes, pray not onely for the pardon of actual sinnes; but original also, whatsoever the Remonstrants say, neither is their Argument against it of any worth, when they say, then the meaning likewise is in the clause following, That we forgive men their trespasses, and their original corruption against us, for the comparison lieth not in the Nature of the sins, but the manner of forgiveness; otherwise, when the Church prayeth for the pardon of Idolatry, or any sinne against the first Table, adding, As we forgive others, the meaning should be, As we forgive them their Idolatries, or sins against the first Table, which would be absurd and blasphemous. Besides, we are not onely to forgive the actual trespasses of those who wrong us, but even their thoughts and inclinations to hate us; If therefore original sinne be a sinne, and will damn us without Christs bloud, and Gods gracious pardon thereby, then we pray for the pardon of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the Lords Prayer, and we are all our life long, because of the reliques of it in us, to humble ourselves, because of it; And although because Wallaeus, an eminent Divine spake of, Reliquiae peccats originalis. The Remon∣strants call it an absurd phrase;

For what is meant (say they) by these re∣liques of original sinne, either actual sinnes or original?

If original, why then are they called the reliques of it? Yet we may say, The phrase is very proper, for it supposeth original sinne not to be wholly extinct, but busie and acting, even in the godly, and therefore we may truly say, Paul, Rom. 7. complained of the reliques of it.

It is our duty (we heard) from this example of David, to humble our selves for the original sinne that is in us, as long as we live. Hence whatsoever Austin said at other times, yet in one place he spake most truly in this point, Propter vitium quantum libet praeferimus, esse nobis necessarium dicere dimitte nobis debita nostra, cum jam omnia in Baptismo dicta facta, cogitate dimissa sint. (Epist. 29) Because of original sinne, although we have never so much pro∣fited, yet we are to pray, that God would forgive us our sins.

This truth is the more diligently to be pressed upon us, by how much the more doctrinal opinions have risen up against it; for those that deny any such thing, they must needs make confessions of it to be a lie, and a meer mockery. And as for the Papist, though most of them hold original sinne to be truly a sinne, yet they say, Baptism is instituted for the remission of that, as repentance is for actual sins: So that it should seem by their Doctrine, Confession and godly sor∣row are required only to take away actual sinne; but as for original, Baptism in the very opere operato doth remove it; for no Infant can put an obex to hinder the effect of that Sacrament: Hence it is that Almain a rational Schoolman, (Opus. de peccato orig. pag. 72.) maketh this Objection,

Suppose an adultus, a man grown up, be to baptized, and at that very time he puts some obex by a gross sinne to hinder the fruit of Baptism; How then can that man (saith he) ever have his original sin pardoned; for there is not a second Baptism, and repentance is only to take away actual? To this he answers, That such a man is not indeed either to have attrition or contrition, or confession of original sinne; for as it was not contracted by our free-will, so it doth not require such a nolition, whereby I would not have been born in it;

Therefore such a man, in his opi∣nion, is to repent of that sinne which was the obex, and then when that is re∣pented of, original sinne is forgiven by the very receiving of Baptism. I bring this instance, to shew, That according to the Popish Doctrine, which yet holds original sinne, yet there is to be no sorrow, no contrition or confession, yea that we are not to have a nolition of it, because it was not committed by our free∣will. Bellarmine likewise (lib. 1. de Sacramento Baptismi, cap. 9) saith, Ori∣ginale paccatum non est materia poenitentiae, nemo enim rectè poenitentiam agit ejus peccati, quod ipse non commisit, & quod in ejus potestate non fuit: Although Onu∣phrius

(De poenitentia Disp. 3. Sect. 1. Quaest. 5.) brings out of Aquinas that distinction I mentioned before, viz. of Repentance taken strictly and largely, and in this later he joyneth with Aquinas, holding it necessary for original sinne, opposing Medina, who affirmed,

That Repentance taken any way, though never so largely, was not necessary for original sinne.

But our Doctrine out of this Text, will endure as gold and precious stone, when that errour will be Conte••••ed as hay and stubble: For as actual sinne, so neither original sinne will be forgiven to any persons grown up, unless they do acknowledge, and with true 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of heart bewail it; so that many commands which are to confes 〈…〉〈…〉, to bewail it, and to abhorre our selves, because of it, as also to pray ea••••••ly and fervently for pardon, must extend to original sinne, as well as actual ne∣ither is Baptism a Seal of the pardon of original sinne onely, but of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sinns to grown persons, which shall by faith make an holy improvement of that Ordinance, only it is true, as was hinted before, there is some difference in our godly sorrow for original sinne, and for actual.