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

SECT. I.

ROM. 7. 25.

So then, with the mind I myself serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the Law of Sinne.

THis Chapter is the common seat and proper place, wherein the nature of original inherent sinne is expresly handled; so that he who by reading of this Chapter shall not be convinced that there is such a thing as original sinne, and that in some measure putting it self forth in the godly to their great grief and misery, I think we may say, he would not believe any such thing, though men should rise from the dead, and come and preach it to us. I shall in time (God willing) fully improve the chief matter herein contained; for herein is described that Christian conflict which is in all the godly between the regenerate and unrege∣nerate part, as also the consequents thereof: For the present, I must take two Hypo∣theses, or Suppositions for granted, which in time (God willing) I shall fully prove.

The first is, That the Apostle speaking of such a sharp combate within him between the Law of his mind, and the Law of sinne, doth not assume the person of another, as of a carnal unregenerate man, or a Legalist convinced by the Doctrine of the Law, yet his heart carrying him in the clean contrary way, but speak it of his own Person, and that as regenerated. The former way go the Arminians, and some Papists, and all Socinians, but the later way generally go the Protestants, even as Austin of old, retracting the former opinion he once had; yea the best and choisest Commentators of the Papists, Salmeron, Pererius, Estius and Lapide, &c. do adhere to this Exposition. So that you must not think, that the com∣bate here spoken of, is like that which Aristotle describes his incontinent person by, that doth like videre and Probare meliora, but deteriora sequi, which is only a fight between an inlightned conscience, and a corrupt heart. Nor

2. Is it like those preparatory and initial works anteceding sometimes conversion, which Austin doth notably speak of in himself, desiring to be freed from sinne, and yet afraid his prayer should be heard; so that he was alwayes going, but yet never did thorowly go to God, till at last he found that gratia Dei vorti cordis, which no hard heart can resist, because it is given on purpose to take away the hard heart: But the Apostle doth here not only doctrinally affirm such a thing as original sinne, but experimentally he declareth the actings of it: So that he

doth not only write a doctrinal and dogmatical Truth, but also an History of what he observed in himself.

The second Supposition to be granted is, that by flesh the Apostle doth not only mean the sensitive or sensual part, but the whole man, so farre as corrupted. So that with the Apostle, the soul is flesh, the understanding, the will, are flesh, be∣cause all are corrupted with original sinne; Of which more in its time.

These two things premised, you may know, that this Text read is the Epilogue or summary Conclusion, which the Apostle makes from that doctrinal and pra∣ctical discourse about himself (to wit) that there are two principles in him, two selves, two men, as it were; There was both a sweet fountain and bitter within him, and from these did flow two suitable streams, The Law of the mind, did incline him to serve the Law of God, but the Law in his members, the Law of sin; Not that the Law of sinne and members are two distinct things, as Calvin and Beza thought, making the Law of sinne, to be original sinne, the Law in the members to be the actings and stirrings of this in the whole man; for ver. 23. The Law of sinne is expresly said to be in the members; And whereas the Apostle in that verse saith, He seeth a Law in his members bringing him into captivity to the Law of sinne, that doth not argue a distinction between these, but according to the use of the Scripture, the Antecedent is repeated for the Relative; the sense being. That the Law of his members did bring Paul into captivity to it, not∣withstanding the Law of the mind with in him, as Gen. 9. 16. I will remember (saith God himself) the everlasting Covenant between God (that is my self) and every living creature.

We see then in these words, that the Apostle giveth another name to that original sinne, which dwelleth in him, he calleth it very emphatically The Law of sinne in him; Original corruption is even in Paul, though converted, how much more in all unregenerate persons by way of a Law: From whence observe,

That the Scripture cals original sin the Law of sin Within us.