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

SECT. I.

JOH. 3. 6.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

THe Privative Part of original corruption being largely disco∣vered, we come now to the Positive Part of it: For although many of the Papists deny it, laying the whole nature of it in a meer want of original righteousnes, yet not only the Protestants generally, but Aquinas and some who follow him, do plead for this Positive Part in original corruption as well as the Pri∣vative, and is therefore called Flesh, as here in the Text, and in other places lust; Of which in its due time. We are not then to conceive of this birth-sinne, as a meer privation of the Image of God, but as including also therewith, a propensity and inclination to all evil.

To the discovery of this Truth, we shall find this Text pitcht upon will be ve∣ry subservient; and herein we are to take notice, That it is part of that famous Colloquy and Conference Christ had with Nicodemus, a Master in Israel; where∣in several things in the general are briefly obserable: As

First, The Mercy that is to the Church in having this Discourse upon Re∣cord; For by Nicodemus his carnal cavillings, we see the necessity of Re∣generation; our Saviour is the more powerfull in his asseverations, Veri∣ly, verily, I say unto you, &c. that hereby every one may see, that though he be great, rich, wise, learned, ingenious, yet he must be born again

Secondly, We may take notice of our Saviours wisdom, that pitcheth upon this Subject rather than another to treat upon; for herein Nicodemus did grosly erre, Nicodemus had learning enough, knew the Law of God and the Scriptures, but was wholly ignorant of Regeneration.

Thirdly, We therefore see, That the work of Regeneration is a mystery, even to wise and learned men; Twice or thrice, saith that great Doctor, How can this be? What poor and childish Objections doth he make against it, and all, be∣cause this is a thing spiritually discerned?

Lastly, The great cause why Nicodemus did not know what Regeneration was, or see the necessary of it, was, Because of his blindnesse about original sinne: Had he believed how carnal and sinfull every one was born, he would presently have bewailed his condition, and said, O Lord, it is true, I am all over polluted, I find nothing of thy Spirit in me, I am all over flesh, and do therefore need thy Spirit to regenerate and quicken me! But this was the root of his destruction,

from hence did arise that gross miscarriage about a new-birth, because was so sensless and unacquainted with the pollution he was born in.

So that the Text is an Argument to prove the Doctrine of Regeneration, and the necessity of it, which Nicodemus did so carnally cavil against: For although our Saviour did so vehemently assert the truth of it in these expressions, twice geminated, Verily, verily, I say into thee, &c. Yet because Nicodemus still ask∣eth, How can this be? therefore our Saviour discovereth to him the root and fundamental cause of the necessity of this birth, and that not of Nicodemus only, but of every man; Therefore he speaks generally, Vnlesse a man be borne again, &c.

The fundamental cause therefore of the necessity of Regeneration is from that universal Proposition laid down in the Text, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, which is also illustrated by the contrary, That which is born of the Spirit is spirit; The strength of the Argument lieth in this, Every thing resembleth that it is produced of; from a Serpent, there cometh a Serpent; from a Toad, a Toad; so from a Dove, a Dove; a Sheep, a Lamb; There being therefore two contrary effective principles in us, The flesh and the Spirit; The flesh, that produ∣ceth what is flesh, the Spirit, what is spirit.

In the first Proposition, we have the emphatical expression of this defile∣ment:

1. In the Vniversality of the Subject of Predication, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; There's none exempted, great men, noble men; Even Kings and Emperors they are flesh of flesh.

2. There is the Vniversality of the Subject of Inhesion; All is flesh, that comes of flesh; so that not only the body, but the soul also is flesh in this sense; for by flesh here, as in other places, is meant, The whole man consisting of soul and body, as he is unclean and impure, and this appeareth by the opposition, which is the Spirit of God, and the effects thereof.

Another emphatical expression is, In using the abstract for the concrete, is flesh, that is fleshly, is spirit, that is, spiritual. We see then here a Proposition affirm∣ed concerning all mankind born in a natural way, which no humane Philosophy could ever inform us in, yea to which it is wholly contrary, viz. That we all by nature both in soul and body are nothing but flesh; for flesh is here put for the vicious and sinfull quality that is in us, and so the mind, the intellictual and chois∣est parts of the soul are thus condemned, as well as the more gross and sensitive, as in time is to be shewed.

This is a clear Text to prove our universal contagion by sinne, yet upon what weak and poor grounds would the Remonstrants oppose it; They therefore by flesh understand, Man simply as man, flesh and blood, begotten in a fleshly and bo∣dily manner, not as sinfull and corrupted; as if our Saviours Argument had been, as what is born of man is man, so what is born of the Spirit is spiritual: But this is very unsound: For what Argument would this be to prove Regeneration? Must a man be new born meerly because he is a man? Certainly had Adam continued in the state of integrity, there would have been procreation of children, yet then there would not have been a necessity of Regeneration: Our Saviour therefore is giving a reason, why there must be a new birth, and that is from the sinfull pollution every one is born in: And whereas the reason they give, why by flesh cannot be meant, wholly sinfull, Because (say they) then in the opposition, by Spirit, would be meant wholly spirituall, whereas the Orthodox do acknowledge a conflict with the Spirit, and the flesh abiding in every regenerate man: But to this the Answer is, That the abstract is put for the concrete, spirit for spiritual, so that the Subject in the Proposition [Born of the Spirit] Spirit is the holy Spi∣rit of God; and the Predicate [is made spirit] Spirit is to be understood of that spiritual and heavenly nature wrought in us by him; And although he who is

made thus spiritual, is not purely and absolutely so, yet the Spirit will in time sub∣due and wholly conquer the flesh, in which sense Gal. 5. They that are Christs are said to have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof; Although there be the re∣liques and remainders of it still in the most holy.

The Text then being thus vindicated, the Observation is,

That all men born in a natural way, are not only without the Image of God, but thereby also are positively polluted, and made all over flesh and sinfull.