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

SECT. IV.

I Shall mention some few more spiritual Advantages, that come by the full and undoubted perswasion of this original corruption; for so of old we are advised, Firmissimè texe, & nullatenus dubita, &c. Believe most firmly, and doubt not in the least manner, but that by Adam's sinne, all his posterity becomes sinfull and obnoxious to Gods wrath. And

First, upon the Knowledg of originall sinne we evidently see, our impossibility to keep the Law of God. That when the Law requireth a love of God, with all our heart, mind and strength; and also doth prohibit all kind of lust, and sinfull concupiscence, even in the very first motions and stirrings of it. The Law (I say) requiring such universal perfection, and we being wholly dead in sinne, upon the comparing of the Law, with our condition, we cannot but conclude,

That we fail in all things, That the Law is spiritual, but we are carnal; And if he be cursed that doth not continue in all things the Law requireth, how ac∣cursed must he be that is not able to perform any one thing? All those opinions that diminish original sinne, do also plead for a possibility of keeping Gods Com∣mandments: Now this self-flattery is imbred in all. Do not most of our com∣mon people think they keep the Commandments of God? Do they believe that the curses of the Law do belong to them every hour? Oh if such convictions were upon them, how greatly would it humble them, and make them debased before God, but they trust in this, they readily and confidently say with that young man. All these have I kept from my youth up, Mat. 9 20. Oh then inform thy self more about this natural defilement and loathsomness that is upon thee, and then thou wilt find the Law to accuse and condemn thee in all things.

Secondly, The right knowledge of this will make even the godly and rege∣nerate, though in some measure delivered from the power and dominion of it, yet to see, that because of its stirrings and actings in them, there is imperfe∣ction, in every thing they do. And truly, this is one of the most profitable effects of true knowledge herein, for hereby a godly man is made to go out of all his graces, and his duties, hereby he is afraid of the iniquity of his holy things, and cals his very righteousness a menstruous ragge. This is clear in Paul, Rom. 7. How sadly doth he complain of the vigorous actings of this original sinne in him; For the present I take it as granted, that that part of the Chapter must be under∣stood of a regenerate person (though vehemently denied by some) as is in time to be shewed. That Law of sinne was alwayes moving, when he set himself to any thing that was holy, he desired to obey the Law perfectly, to love God compleatly, but this Law of sinne would not let him: So that, because of this natural defilement, evil is mixed with all the good we do, insomuch that there would be a woe, and a curse to all our gracious acts, if strictly examined. Thus it is with a godly man in this life, as those Hetruscan-robbers reported of by Aristotle, and mentioned by Austin, who would take some live men, and bind them to the dead men, which was a miserable way of perishing: Even thus it is here, original corruption is constantly adhering, and inseparably to him, who is alive in holiness, and by this means, there is unbelief in his faith, coldness in his zeal, dulness in his fervency; Insomuch that the Apostle crieth out of himself, Oh wretched man that I am! And that because of this very thing, the Papists, though they hold original sinne, yet maintaining, That after Baptism it's quite taken away, and that though there be some languor and difficulty in a man, in re∣spect of what is good, yet if we do not consent to these motions of lusts within us, they are not truly and properly sins, do consequentially conclude, that there is not necessarily dross and sinne in every holy duty we do, but the evidence of Rom. 7. is too great to be contradicted. So that preaching of original sinne is not only necessary to the unregenerate, but even to the most holy and godliest man that liveth; Let him desire to know more of it, for it may do him also much good, and this is the reason, why the more godly any are, the more they are displeased with themselves, and do the more highly esteem of Christ, not but that they grow in grace, only they grow also in the discoveries of more filth and unworthiness in themselves.

Thirdly, By the true knowledge of this we come to be acquainted with that combate and conflict, that is between the flesh and the spirit, so much spoken of by Divines, who usually say, In every godly man there are two men, two I's, as the Apostle (Rom. 7.) distinguisheth, I Paul carnal, sold under sinne, doing the things, I would not, and I Paul spiritual, delighting in the Law of God in the inwardman, and thanking God the Father through Christ, because freed from condemnation; That Paul did not speak of this combate, while unregene∣rate,

as a Legalist, as some say, but as truly converted, will appear, if we consider, that in another place, Gal. 5. 17. the Apostle speaks of all the godly, as thus exercised, The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; So that whatsoever is done holily and godlily, it is alwayes cum luctâ car∣nis, and therefore grace is the mortifying of the flesh: Now our sins will not be put to death, without some pain and reluctancy to the carnal part. There∣fore this is a perpetual concomitant of every godly man, he hath a combate and spiritual conflicting within him, and this makes him often in so many agonies, this makes him so earnestly watching and praying against all temptations; now come we to natural people, they feel not the least strugling within them, all is quiet, and at ease, because they are wholly in their original sinne, they were born in; And this makes it plain likewise, that all their praying, hearing, all the re∣ligious duties they ever performed, were never done in an holy and godly man∣ner, because there was no reluctancy, or inward combate, but they did them in a customary, formal way, without any spiritual life or motion, for flesh will not fight against flesh. Indeed there is a combate between conscience in its con∣viction and corruption, even in some unregenerate men, as in Aristotle's incon∣tinent man, as distinguished from his intemperate, and that is known, of Me∣dea, video meliora, proboque, deteriora sequor, I see and approve better things, but follow the worse: And some would have Paul's combate to be no other, be∣cause he cals it, The Law of his mind, fighting with the Law in his members, but that is not cogent, as is more largely to be shewed in its time. Though therefore there be a reluctancy in some unregenerate men, yet that is not like the conflict in the godly, because amongst other differences, this is one principal. The god∣ly man being regenerated in every part of the soul, though not perfectly, his will is sanctified as well as his mind: Hence the combate and opposition in a godly man, is between the same faculty sanctified, and the flesh still abiding in that part, his holy will against his corrupt will; so that not only his mind and conscience is against sinne, but his will also, so farre as sanctified: Hence the same Apostle makes the opposition between will and will, What I would not, that I do, and though captivated by lust, yet at that very time, delighting in the Law of God, in the inward man; whereas in unregenerate men, they have only an opposi∣tion between their conscience, and their heart. The mind suggests one thing, but the will and affections wholly incline another way; Therefore that light in their consciences is a trouble and vexation to them, they do all they can to extinguish it.

The Doctrine then of original corruption, informing us. That it abideth still in a man, while he liveth upon the earth, doth inform the truly godly, that they must alwayes expect agonies and conflicts within, like fire and water met toge∣ther, so will grace and corruption be; Therefore by this very combat, we may discern true grace, and it's counterfeit; for presumption, which would be thought faith, is easie, we find no opposition to it, but faith is put forth with much difficulty; so godly sorrow put forth upon pure and spiritual motives, is greatly assaulted by the flesh within us, but worldly sorrow or mourning, though for sinne, because of temporal judgments only that is easie, we are carried to it from a propensity within, from a love to our selves.

Hence lastly, The main and principal effect of the true knowledge of our ori∣ginal defilement, is to bring the soul humbled and burdened under it, to a true and real esteem of Christ, and his Grace. So much as we take off from origi∣nal sinne, making it either no sinne, or the least sinne, or quite abolished after Baptism, so much do we take off from the grace of God in Christ. Hence the Apostle, Rom. 5. when he maketh that famous opposition between the first Adam and the second, the gift of grace by one, and the condemnation by the other, he pitcheth upon that first disobedience, by which we are made sinners,

as the original of all that calamity we are plunged into; and therefore the same Paul, when he poured out a large complaint about this Law of sinne working in him, at the close of all he runneth to Jesus Christ, Rom. 7. 35. It is the true knowledge of this only, that will make us see the necessity of Christ all the day long, and in every duty, in every performance; As we have none speak so much of Grace and Christ, as Paul, so none speaks so largely and fully about original sinne. In the fifth Chapter of the Romans, he asserts the Doctrine of it; and in the seventh Chapter, he declares the power of it, which he felt experimentally in himself, though regenerated: Do not then think this is a Philosophical dispute, or that to erre in this is like erring in those points, wherein one Christian is to bear with another; but with Austin account it a fundamental, and that to deny it, is to overthrow that Law whereby we are Christians.