A Golden Chain

And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathsome contagion of original sin, which is a weight sufficient to press down the soul to the gulf of hell, it stands us in hand a thousand fold more to use the means whereby it may be taken away, then to dispute how it came.

And so considering that our whole natures are really infected and poisoned with the loathsome contagion of originall sinne, which is a weight sufficient to presse downe the soule to the gulfe of hell, it standes vs in hand a thousand fold more to vse the meanes whereby it may be taken away, then to dispute how it came.

Some may allege against the propagation of sin, that holy parents beget holy children, which are void of original sin, because it stands not with reason, that parents should convey that to their children which they themselves want, namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sin in part. Answ. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy. For sanctification is but in part, and therefore they can not possibly beget children pure from all sin. Secondly, parents beget children as they are men, and not as they are holy men; and by generation they derive unto their children nature with the corruption thereof, and not grace which is above nature. Take any corn, yea the finest wheat that ever was, winnow it as clean as possibly may be: afterward sow it, weed it also when it is sown, and reap it in due time, and carry it to the barn; when it is threshed, you shall find as much chaff in it as ever was before: and why? because God hath set this order in the creation that it shall spring and grow so oft as it is sowed with the stalk, ear, blade, and all: so likewise though the parents be never so holy, the children as they come of them are conceived and borne wholly corrupt, because God took this order in the creation, that whatsoever evil Adam procured, he should bring it not only on himself, but upon all his posterity: by virtue of which decree, the propagation of sin is continued without any interruption, though parents themselves be borne anew by the spirit of God.

Some may alleadge against the propagation of sinne, that holy parents beget holy children, which are void of originall sinne, because it stands not with reason, that parents should conuey that to their children which they thēselues want, namely the guilt and the punishment and the fault of sinne in part. Answ. I. Men are not in this life perfectly holy. For sanctification is but in part, and therefore they can not possibly beget children pure from all sinne. Secondly, parents beget children as they are men, and not as they are holy men; and by generation they deriue vnto their children nature with the corruption thereof, and not grace which is aboue nature. Take any corne, yea the finest wheate that euer was, winow it as cleane as possibly may be: afterward sow it, weede it also when it is sowen, and reape it in due time, and carie it to the barne; when it is thresht, you shall finde as much chaffe in it as euer was before: and why? because God hath set this order in the creation that it shall spring and grow so oft as it is sowed with the stalke, eare, blade, and all: so likewise though the parents be neuer so holy, the children as they come of them are conceiued and borne wholly corrupt, because God tooke this order in the creation, that whatsoeuer euill Adam procured, he should bring it not onely on himselfe, but vpon all his posteritie: by vertue of which decree, the propagation of sinne is continued without any interruption, though parents themselues be borne anew by the spirit of God.