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

CHAP. XVII.

Objections against the Positive Part of Original Sinne answered.

SECT. I.

Cautions Premised.

THere remain only some Objections against this Truth, but be∣fore we answer them, take notice,

First, That although we say original sinne is more than a privation of that Righteousnesse which ought to be in man, yet We do not make it to be like some infecting corporeal quality in the body, that hereby should vitiate the soul, and as it were poison that. Lombard and some others, especially Arimi∣nensis (Distinct. 30.) They seem to deliver their opinion so, as rejecting An∣selm's definition of original sinne, making it to be want of that original righte∣ousnesse which ought to be in us, and do declare it to be a morbida qualitas, some kinde of pestilential and infecting quality abiding in the body, and thereby affecting the soul; As when the body is in some phrenetical and mad distempers, the soul is thereby disturbed in all its operations; so that these make the want of original righteousness to be the effect of original sinne, not the nature of it, saying upon Adam's sinne, Man becoming thus defiled, God refused to continue this righteousness to him any longer. But if these Schoolmen be further questioned, How such a diseased pestilential quality should be in the body? Some say, it was from the forbidden fruit that that had such a noxious effect with it; but that is rejected, because that was made of God, and all was exceeding good: Ari∣mine••sis therefore following as he thinketh Austin, maketh this venemous qua∣lity in a mans body to have its original, from the hissing and breath, as it were of the Serpent; he conceiveth, that by their discourse with the Serpent, there came from it such an infectious air, as might contaminate the whole body, and he saith Austin speaks of some, who from the very hissing and air from Serpents have been poisoned.

But the Protestants they do not hold it any positive quality in this sense; for this is to make the body, the first and chiefest subject of original sinne, and so to convey it to the soul, whereas indeed the soul is primarily and principally the seat of original sinne; We therefore reject this, as coming too near Manicheism, as if there were some evil and infectious qualities in the very nature and substance of a man.

Secondly, It must be remembred, what hath been said before, That when we come to give a particular reason why the understanding or will are propense to any evil; We can assign only a privative cause, viz. Because it wants that rectitude which would regulate it; as if a ship (it's Anselm's comparison) were without

Pilot and Governour of tacklings let loose into the whole Ocean, it would be violently hurried up and down till it be destroyed. Thus man without this Image of God would be tossed up and down by every lust, never resting till he had hur∣led himself into hell; yet though we cannot give any more than a privative cause, there is also a positive propensity to all evil connoted: As in a wicked action of murder or drunkenness, if you go to give a reason, why such actions are sinnes; we must say from the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is in them, that want of order which the Law requireth; There is a privation of that rectitude the Law commands, yet those sinnes do imply also the material and substrate acts, as well as the obliquity: In every sinne of commission, there is that which is positive as well as privative; Though the ratio formalis of the sinne be a privation; and thus it is in original sinne, the whole nature of it comprehends both a want of Gods Image, and a con∣stant inclination to all impiety. Though the privative be the cause of the positive Indeed Rolloc (De vocatione cap. 25. de peccat. orig.) maketh a three-fold mat∣ter, and a three-fold form in original sinne: The three-fold matter he assigneth to be a defection from God, a want of original righteousness, and a positive quality, which succeedeth in the room of holinesse: To which three-fold matter he attributeth a three fold form or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in which the nature of sinne consists. Now these material parts of original sinne, are so many entities, being good in themselves, and coming from God the Author of nature, but how Apostasie and want of original righteousness can be positive entities, and good of themselves, I cannot understand, or how carentia justitiae originalis, should have the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for its form when that it self is the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and so a form have a form seemeth ir∣rational to conceive.

SECT. II.

THese two things thus premised, the plain and obvious Objection is, That if original sinne be positive, then it's good, and so of God, because omne ens est bonum, every being is good, and then as Austin, Omne bonum est vel Deus, vel à Deo, all good is either God himself, or of God Would it not then be blasphemy to make God the Authour of it, and if it have a positive being, then certainly it must come from God the Author of all being?

But to this several Answers may be returned:

First, That though original sinne should be granted to be positive, yet for all that God would not be made the Author of sinne, Because as it's sinne, it doth arise from man. There are some great Schoolmen, as Cajetan and others, that hold sinnes of commission have a positive real being, as sinnes; They deny that the nature of such sinnes lieth formally in a privation. but in a positive rela∣tive contrariety to the Law of God; and when urged with this Argument, That then such sinnes have their being immediately from God, as all other created beings have: They will answer, That God is indeed the efficient of every being, but not of every modus, or relative respect of that being: As for example, when a man eateth and drinketh, this eating and drinking they are from God, but then take them under this relative respect, as they are vital and formal actions of man, so they cannot be attributed to God, for then we might say, God doth eat and drink, yea in those gracious acts when we do believe and repent, God is the efficient cause of them, yet as they do formally and vitally flow from us, so they are not to be attributed to God, for God doth not repent or believe. Thus it may be said, That though God be efficiently the cause of all positive being, yet as some being hath a relative respect to the second cause working, so it cannot be attri∣buted to God, neither is this any imperfection, but a perfection in God, be∣cause Deus non potest supplers vicem materialis, aut formalis causae: There∣fore

saith Curiel a positive Doctor for the positive nature of sinnes of Com∣mission (Lectur. 6. in Thom. pag. 300.)

That it may be granted, the will is prima moralis causa peccati, as we may say a man is the first cause of sight, per modum videntis, because he is not subordinate to any other cause, which doth produce this sight, viz. formally, a sight; and (saith he) the like is in all other vital actions.

But I need not run into this thorny thicket to hide my self from the force of this Objection.

Secondly, There are some learned Protestants, that do distinguish of ens, or being; That ens is either created, as the works of the six dayes, or generated, as mankind, and the animate creatures, or made as artificial things, or prepared, as Heaven and Hell, or introduced, as sinne; for it's said of sinne, that it's 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; So that upon this distinction they will say, That God is the cause of all made, and created beings, but not of introdu∣ced beings, such as sinne is, because that came in by Satans temptation, and mans disobedience. But this distinction hath scarce so much as a sandy foundation; for though it be an introduced being, yet because a being, it is a creature, and so must come from God the chief being, according to that of the Evangelist, John 1. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made: For that which is ens only by participation, must be re∣duced to that which is ens per essentiam. Therefore

In the third place, We must speak of original sinne, as we do of vicious habits, and of actual sinnes; The material and substrate of them, being a good of na∣ture is of God, but the vitiosity and obliquity that is of man, when a man mo∣veth his tongue to curse and swear, or his hand to murder another: As they are actions they are of God, For in him we live, and move, and have our being; but as evil adhereth to them, so they are of man: Thus it is in original sinne, when we say, there is a positive inclination in mans heart to all evil; The mean∣ing is, That the understanding and will, as they are faculties, and as they do act, thus farre they are of God, but as they cannot but act sinfully, and offend in every motion, so it's of Adam's disobedience, to understand then, to think, to will, to love, these are of God, but to love what is evil and contrary to Gods Word, or to love excessively and immoderately that which we are to do in subor∣dination only, this is of our selves.

A second Objection is, That if original sinne be like a vicious habit in a man, then it cannot be transmitted unto posterity, for habits (they say) are personal things: No father doth communicate to his childe any habits, either virtuous or vicious.

But to this it's answered, That original sinne is not an acquired habit of sinne, but an innate and imbred one in us; So that as if Adam had stood, original righteousnesse, which was like a concreated habit in man, would have been com∣municated to all his posterity, thus it is no wonder, if original sinne, which doth so tenaciously and inwardly adhere to all natures be transmitted to every one born in a natural way.

The last Objection is, That there is no necessity of supposing such an habitual vitiosity in a man; It's enough (say they) that a man be deprived of the Image of God, and when that is lost, of it's own self man's nature is prone to evil; It needs no habitual inclination to weigh him down; as if a wild beast be tied in cords and chains, lose him, unty him, and of himself he will runne into wild and untamed actions.

But to answer this:

First, The Papists, they cannot consequentially to their principles say thus; For they hold,

That if this Image of God be removed, he doth continue in his pure naturals, there is no sinne inhering in him, upon the meer losse of that; For they confesse, That although by acting from his

pure naturals he could not deserve Heaven, or love God as a supernatural end, yet in an inferiour way, as the ultimate natural end, so he might love God, and that above all other things.

But secondly, That is granted, This positive inclination to all evil, follow∣eth necessarily from the removal of this Image of God from us; If the Sunne be removed, then necessarily darknesse doth cover the face of the soul; If the loco-motive faculty be interrupted, then there is nothing but halting and lamenesse: Disturb the harmony, and good temperament of the humours, and then immediately diseases and pains do surprize the whole man; It cannot therefore be avoided, that when this disorder is come up∣on the soul, but that our lusts break out as at a flood-gate, and we are in a spi∣ritual deluge all over covered with the waters of sin; but then here is a positive as well as a privative.

Besides, It is not for us to be curious in giving a reason of such posi∣tive corruption in a man by nature; it is enough that Gods word is so clear and full in the discovery of it, that he must needs wilfully shut his eyes, that will not be convinced by the light of Gods word herein: And this may suffice to dispel that darknesse, which some would have covered this Truth with, and as for what knowledge about this positivenesse of original corruption is further necessary; We shall then take notice of it, when we speak of original sinne, as it is called lust or concupiscence.

SECT. III.

LEt therefore the Use from the former Doctrine delivered, be, To affectus, and wound us at the very heart, that we are thus all over covered with sin, that we have not an understanding, but to sin, a will but to sin, an heart but to sin; May not this be like a two edged sword within thee? What will fire thee out of all thy self-confidence, thy self-righteousnesse, if this doe not? What delight, what comfort canst thou take by beholding thy self, by looking on thy self thus corrupted and depraved? And the rather let this consideration go to the ve∣ry bottom of thy soul. Because

First, Thy propensity and inclination is to that onely which God onely hateth, which God onely loatheth, and hath decreed to punish with his ut∣most wrath to all eternity. Consider that sinne is the greatest evil; All the temporal evils in the world are but the effect of it, that is the cause. Now can it ever humble thee enough to think, that the whole bent, and constant tendency of thy soul is unto that which is the most abominable in the eyes of God? Thou canst not do that which is more destructive to thy own soul, and more dishonouring unto God, then by committing sinne, and yet thou canst do nothing else, thou delightest in nothing else; Thy heart will not let thee do any thing else: Look over thy whole life, take notice how many years thou hast li∣ved, and yet if not regenerated and delivered in some measure from the power of original corruption, thou hast done nothing but sinned; Every thought hath been a sinne, every motion a sinne within thee, and yet sinne is the greatest evil, and that alone which God hateth.

Secondly, If yet thy heart be hard, and nothing will enter, take a se∣cond naile, or wedge to drive into thee, and that is, being thus all over carried out to sinne, not the least good able to rise in thy heart, that here∣by the very plain Image of the Devil is drawn over thee: Hence it is, that wicked men are said to be of their Father the Devil; and he is said to rule in the hearts of the children of disobedience, Ephes. 2. What a wofull change is this, to be turned from a Sonne of God, to become a Devil?

While Adam retained the Image of God, God abode with him, and in him, there was a near union with God, but upon his Apostasie, the Devil taketh possession of all, and so now man is in a near union with the De∣vil: Every mans soul is now the Devils Castle, his proper habitation; The Spirit of God is chaced away, and now thy heart is made an habitati∣on for these Satyrs; Thy soul is become like an howling wildernesse, where∣in lodge all beastly lusts whatsoever; Thou that wouldst account it horrible injury to be called beast and Devil, yet thy original sinne maketh thee no lesse.

Thirdly, This further may break thy heart, if it be not yet broken e∣nough, that hereby thou art utterly impotent and unable to help thy self out of this lost condition; For how can a dead man help himselfe to live again? How can thy crooked heart be ever made straight, unlesse a greater power than that subdue it; If thou didst judge thy conditi∣on an hopelesse one, as to all humane considerations, then thou would∣est tremble, and have no rest in thy selfe, till God had delivered thee out of it?

Lastly, Let this also further work to thy Humiliation, that being thus po∣sitively inclined to all evil, not onely proper and sutable temptations draw out thy sinnes, but even all holy and godly remedies appointed by God, they do increase this corruption the more, And is not that man miserable, whose very remedies make him more miserable? Doth not the Apostle com∣plain sadly of that Law of sinne in him, even in this respect, that by this means, the Law wrought in him all evil? The more holy and spiritual the Law was, the more carnal and sinfull was he thereby occasioned to be: Oh then! What wilt thou do, when good things make thee evil, spiritual things make thee more carnal?