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Title:  A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is, by pregnant texts of Scripture vindicated from false glosses / by Anthony Burgess.
Author: Burgess, Anthony, d. 1664.
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especially they urge that Ezek. 18. 18, 19. where God saith, The child shall not bear the sins of his father, and the Lord doth it to stop their prophane cail against his wayes, as if they were not equal, because the fathers did eat sour grapes, and the childrens teeth were set on edge. The Remonstrants are so confident, that in their Apology, cap. 7. they say, Neither Scripture, nor Gods Truth, nor his Justice, nor his Mercy and Equity, nor the Nature of sinne will permit this.To answer this:Answ. First, It is not my purpose at this time to enter into that great Debate, Whether the sins of parents are punished in their children? And it so, How it stands with the Justice of God? It is plain, That in the second Command∣ment it is said, That God being a jealous God, because of Idolatry, he will visit the sins of such persons, to the third and fourth generation. The same likewise is attri∣buted unto God, Exod. 34. 7. when his glorious Properties are described, expe∣rience also in the destruction of Sedom and Gomorrah, as also in the drowning of the world, doth abundantly testifie this; For no doubt there was in those places, as God said of Ninevch, many little ones, that did not know the right hand from the left, and so could not have any consent to the actual iniquities of their Parents. To reconcile therefore that place of Ezek. 18. where God saith, The child shall not bear the iniquity of his Father, with those former places, hath ex∣ercised the thoughts of the most learned men variously, endeavouring to unty that knot. Though I find some of late, understanding that of Ezekiel, only for that particular occasion, as it did concern the Jews, in their particular judgment of Captivity, who complained that for their fathers iniquities they were transport∣ed into a strange Land; So that they think it not to be extended universally, but limited to that people only, and at that time, and that alone to that Land of Is∣rael, because they were driven from their own Countrey: But whether this In∣terpretation will abide firm or no, it is certain that the Text doth not militate against our cause in hand. For1. As hath been shewed, There is not the same reason of parents, since Adam's fall, as of Adam; for he was a common person, and therefore Christ and he are compared as the two fountains, and universal principles of all; For which rea∣sons also it is that the Apostle doth here call him , The Type of him that was to come: Insomuch that we may easily see, why there is a difference between Adam and other parents; So that although the child dieth not for his parents sins, yet he doth, and most for Adams. Learned men use to illustrate our being in Adam, and sinning in him, (for which our punishment is just and due) by that of the Apostle, Heb 7. 9, 10 where Levi is said, to pay Tyths to Mel∣chizedech long before he was born, because he was in Abrakams lins: And although it may be granted, that there is some disproportion, Abraham not being such a common parent to Levi, as Adam was to all mankind; yet Sceinus his exception is very frivolous. The Apostle saith, he useth that diminutive phrase, , as I may so say, which doth demonstrate, that it was not a proper saying. To this we answer, That if you do regard Levies actual paying of Tyths, as it he had an actual existence, then there was some impropriety, which made the Apostle use that phrase, but not in regard of the truth of his paying in a moral consideration. Thus when we say, All sinned in Adam, we may well use that phrase, and speak thus, As we may so say, we did all actually will Adam's sinne, we did all actually transgress that Commandment; Thus it is a diminutive expression in relation to our actual existence, but not to our sinne; For by Gods Covenant we were looked upon, as in him. Though I must consess that is a very absurd and forced expositi∣of Catharinus (Opusc. de pecet. orig) whose opinion is, That all our origi∣nal sinne is Adams actual sinne made ours, and referreth that expression of Christ to Nathaneel, Joh. 1. 49. When thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee, to Nathaneels being in Adam, while he did eat of the forbidden ruit, which 0