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

SECT. III.

Reasons to evince the Positive part of Original Sinne.

NOw that we are to judge of it thus, will appear from Scripture, upon these grounds:

First, The names that the Scripture attributeth to it, compell us to think of it, as more than a m••er bare simple privation, for in the Text it is called Flesh, in other places Lust, the Old man, the Body of sinne, which emphatical expressions are for this end to make us conceive of the deep and most real pollution it bringeth upon us: Insomuch that we are not to extenuate and diminish the nature of it, but as the scope of the Scripture is to aggravate it under the most substantial and powerfull names that are, so we also are accordingly to judge of it. It is true, Illyricus out of a vehement opposition to Papists and Synergists, did wring the Scripture till bloud came out of it in stead of milk; for he would understand these places mentioned about original sinne almost literally, as if sinne were our very substance and essence, whereas if he had gone no further, then to say, that the Scripture by these names doth intend not onely the meer privation of good by this original pollution, but also a positive pronenese, and a con∣tinual activity unto all evil, than he had hit the mark. The Scripture Names then are only considerable, for the holy Ghost doth not use them in vain, but thereby would startle and amaze us, that we may consider that we are without, and what evil doth abide in us.

Secondly, This is proved from Scripture-affirmation, about the state of all men. It doth not onely describe man privatively, that he is without God, without Christ, but also pesitively, that he is an enemy to God, and cannot be subject to him, Rom. 3, 10, 11. to the 18. verse. The holy Apostle applying several passages out of the old Scripture to all men by nature, instanceth both in privatives and positives also; Privatives, There is none that under∣standeth, there is none that seeketh God, there is none that doth good, there is no fear of God before their eyes: But is this all? No, he addeth, Their throat

is an open Sepulchre, the poison of Aspes is under their lips, their feet are swift to shed bloud, &c. Here you see, the nature of every man is abominable, loath∣some and ready to commit the foulest sinnes, if he be not stopt; yea the Scripture is more oftener expressing this Positive part of original sinne then the Privative, Genes. 5. Genes. 8. 21. The imagination of a mans heart is said to be onely evil, and that from his youth. Eliphaz also in Job 15. saith, How abominable is man who, drinketh down iniquity like water? Thus you see the Scripture represents us in a farre more loathsome vile and poisonous nature than we are apt to believe concerning our selves. When Austine maintained this Doctrine, Pelagius would say, This was to accuse mans na∣ture (Lib. 1. de Naturâ & Gratiâ.) But this is indeed the onely way to set up the grace of Christ our Physician, for the whole need not a Physicias,

Neither (saith Austin) are we so to exalt God a Creator, as to make a Saviour wholly superfluous.

It is true therefore, which the same Author saith,

That when we have to do with such who deny the necessity of grace by Christ, making free will of it self, sufficient to what is holy, and all be∣cause they deny any such thing as original sinne, we are not so much (saith he) to deal in Disputations with them, as prayers for them, that their eyes might be opened to know themselves, and that the stony heart may be taken from them, for if once they had the sense and feel∣ing of this, they would quickly confesse both original sinne, and Christs grace.

Thirdly, Original sinne is positive, Because the Scripture attributes positive and efficatious actions to it, which meer and bare privations are not capable of. The seventh Chapter of the Romans speaketh fully to this, what expressions, and that in allusion to military affairs, doth the Apostle use concerning this sinne inhabiting in him? For vers. 23. he complaineth of this Law of sinne, that it doth warre against him, and bring him into captivity, which phrases denote, That this original sinne is not a sluggish, idle privation, but withall it connoteth an impetuous repugnancy to any thing that is holy; This also the Apostle con∣firmeth, Gal. 5. 17. where the flesh is said to lust against the Spirit, shall we think then, that the holy Ghost speaketh of this activity and working of sinne in us, that we should apprehend no more than the absence of Gods Image within us. Let us then aggravate the hainnousnesse of it, as we see the Scripture doth, and deeply humble our selves under it: Shall it be a small thing to have such an impetuous active principle in us against what is holy? That which we should imbrace and close with as the most excellent, that we flie from, and are most averse to, as if it were the greatest evil, and would be to our utter undoing.

Fourthly, If vicious habits that are acquired by customary practice of evil. are not meer and simple privations, but do also include in them a propensity to evil, then it followeth, that original sinne likewise is not a meer privation; For we are to conceive of original sinne, as an innate and imbred habit, as the other are acquired: Now it's plain, That all vicious moral habits, they are not a meer negation, or absence of such virtues, but do•• also in∣cline and dispose the subject to vicious actions, easily and with delight; So that we must needs attribute as much Postivenesse, if not more to ori∣ginal sinne, then to vicious acquired habits; And the truth is, This is a closer Leprosie infecting of us, then such habits, for this we have as soon as we are born, this is twisted within our bowels; this can never be whol∣ly shaken off, whereas accustomed sinnes, they are perfectly overcome by the work of Regeneration. For this is the difference between acquired ha∣bits of sinne, and original corruption: In Regeneration, seeing the Image of God is put into us, which is the substance of all holy habits, the con∣trary

habits are presently excluded, and the sinnes the godly afterwords com∣mit, are not from their former habits of sinne, but from the reliques of ori∣ginal corruption, whatsoever the Remonstrants say to the contrary; But Re∣generation doth not totally exclude original sinne, onely diminisheth the strength of it: So that this original corruption will abide in some measure in us, even while we carry this mortal body about with us: And if the Prophet made it such an impossible thing for men habituated in sinne to be converted, as when he saith, If a Leopard can change his skinne, then may you learne to doe well, who are accustomed to doe evil, Jerem. 13. 23. What then shall he said of us who are borne in evil? Customary sinnes are but the Leopards skinne, original sinne is like the Leopards na∣ture.

Lastly, This positive inclination doth necessarily follow from the privation of this Image of God; if the due summetry and excellent Harmony which was at first in the soul be taken away, then all the faculties and powers of the soul must necessarily move sinfully and inordinately. The soul of a man is alwayes working one way or other, if then it hath lost original righteous∣nesse, it cannot but be hurried on to what is evil; as if you take away the pillar on which a stone liethh, presently that will fall to the ground; If you spoil the strings of musical instruments, immediately they make a jarre and ingratefull noise upon every moving of them: The soul of a man is a subject immediately susceptible of righteousnesse or corruption, and if it lose its righ∣teousnesse, then by natural necessity corruption cometh in the room of it, and so when the understanding acts, it acteth sinfully, when the will mo∣veth, it moveth sinfully; So that we may well say with Austin to the Pelagian, demanding, How this corruption could come into us, for God was good, and nature good, Quid quaeris latentem rimum, cum habes aper∣tam jannam? Not a cranny, but a gate or door is open for this corruption to seize upon us.