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

CHAP. XVI.

Reasons demonstrating the Positive Part of Ori∣ginal Sinne.

SECT. I.

HItherto we have been informed out of this Text, what is compre∣hended in the word [Flesh] attributed to every one that is in a natural way born of mankind. We now proceed to that Truth, for which it was designedly pitcht upon, viz. That Original sin is not only a Privation of Gods Image, but doth cannote also a Posi∣tive inclination, and an impetuous propensity to every thing that is evil. For this Question is agitated between some Papists, and the Protestants; They asserting,

That the whole nature of original sinne lieth in the privation of Gods Image:

But the Orthodox, they say,

That although original sinne is privative, yet it is not meerly privative, but doth include in it, as the materiale, that habitual crookedness and perversnes, which is in all the faculties of the soul;

And thus the Protestants do almost in effect say the same with Aquinas, who calleth original corruption a corrupt habit, not a meer privation, for privations are of two sorts, either simple, that imply onely a privation, as blindnesse and death, or compounded and mixed, which besides the meer privation, do denote some materiale or substratum with it. Thus Aquinas compareth original sinne to a sickness or disease, which doth not only signifie a privation of health, but also the humours excessively overflowing, and thereby dissolving the due tempe∣rament of the body: Such a privation is original sinne, a mixt, or compounded privation, that besides the absence of what righteousness is due, denoteth also a propensity and violent inclination unto that which is evil. It is true indeed, if we come punctually to examine, how the will is disobedient, and how the affections are so disorderly, we cannot resolve into any thing, but this privation, the un∣derstanding is therefore darkness and erroneous, because without its primitive light; The will is crooked and perverse, because without its primitive rectitude: So that Calvin saith well, He that cals it the privation of Gods Image, saith the whole nature of it, yet when we speak of the privative part of it only, we do not so fully and significantly expresse the dreadfull pollution of it: Even as concerning vi∣cious habits in morality, intemperance, injustice, it is not enough to say, they are the privation of those virtues, which are immediately contrary to them, but they do denote also such an inclination in a man, that thereby he is carried out to those vicious of such habits constantly, and with delight.

SECT. II.

Why Divines make Original Sinne to have its Positive as well as Privative Part.

THe Reason, why our Divines make original sinne to have its Positive as well as Privative part, is to obviate that errour of the Papists, who sup∣posing original righteousness to be only by way of a bridle in Adam to curb and subjugate the inferiour part to the superiour of the soul, when Adam lost this, they conceive mankind, hath not any further pollution upon it, but that meer losse; Insomuch that they say,

Man is now as if God had created him in his pure naturals without any supernaturals.

The Socinians likewise, they deny any such pollution, and make us to be born in the same condition Adam was created in (death as a punishment only accepted) meerly without either sinne or righ∣teousnesse, like Aristotles, Obrasa Tabula, in a neutral indifferent way. Now to confront such dangerous opinions, we say,

That by our birth-sinne, we are not only deprived of Gods Image, but are in an habitual inclination to all evil, which is also active and repugnant to all good.

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.

SECT. IV.

Application.

BEfore we come to answer the Objections, Let us affect our hearts with it, and labour to be humbled under the consideration of this positive∣nesse and efficacy of it.

For first, Hereby we see, that if it be not restrained and stopped by God, we know not where we should stay in any sinne; What Cain's, what Judas's would we not prove? Who can say, Hitherto I will goe in sinne, and no further, for there is a fountain within thee, that would quickly overflow all? This active root of bitternesse, this four leaven within thee, would quickly make thy life, like Job's body, full of ulcers and noisome sores: If thou art not plunged in the same mire and filth, as others are, doe not say, Thou hast lesse of this corruption than they; Thou art borne more innocent than they, onely God stops thee, as he did Balaam from doing such wickednesse, as thy heart is forward enough unto; No Serpent is fuller of poyson, no Toad of venome, than thou art of sinne, which thou wouldst be constantly committing, were not some stop put in the way.

Secondly, In that sinne is thus positive and inclining thee, thou art the more to admire the grace of God, if that work a contrary inclination and propensity in thee; If thou art brought with Paul, To delight in the Law of God in the inward man; If thy heart pants after God, as the Hart after the waters, which once delighted in sinne, which once longed after nothing, but the satisfying of the flesh: Oh admire this gracious, miraculous work of God upon thy soul, who hath made thee to differ thus from thy selfe! The time was once, when thou rejoycedst in those sinnes, that are now matter of shame and trembling to thee. The time was when thy heart was affected with no other good than that of the creature; Thou didst know no other, desire no other but that, but now God hath made iron to swimme, he hath made the Blackmoor white: Oh blesse God for the least desires and affections, which thou hast at any time for that which is good, for this cometh not from thee; it is put into thee by the grace of God.

Lastly, Consider that this positivenesse of sinne in thee, doth not onely manifest it self in an impetuous inclination to all evil, but also a violent re∣sistance of whatsoever is good: The Apostle (Rom. 8.) calleth it, Enmity against God; and Rom. 7. he complaineth of it, as warring and fighting a∣gainst the Law of his minde; And certainly this is a very great aggravati∣on, not onely to be without what is good, but to be a desperate enemy, and a violent opposer of it, both in others, as also to that which the Spi∣rit of God by the Word would worke in our own hearts, not onely with∣out the remedy, but full of enmity against it; Doth not this make our con∣dition unspeakably wretched? Certainly, this is the highest aggravation in ori∣ginal sinne, that we are not onely unable to what is good, but we are with anger and rage carried out against it, as if good were the onely evil, and sweetnesse the onely bitternesse.