A Golden Chain

Euseb. Brother Timothy, I know what I say, God give me grace to speak it with more lively feeling of my weakness and with a more bitter detestation of my sin. By nature through the fall of Adam am I the child of wrath, heir of the vengeance of God by birth: yea and so from my first conception: and I had my fellowship with the damned devils under the power of darkness & rule of Satan, while I was yet in my mothers womb: and although I showed not the fruits of sin as soon as I was borne nor long after: yet was I full of the natural poison, from whence all wicked deeds do spring, and cannot but sin outwardly, as soon as I am able to work (be I never so young) if occasion be given: for my nature is to sin as is the nature of a serpent to sting: & and as a Serpent yet young, or yet unbroughtforth is full of poison and cannot afterward (when time and occasion is given) but bring forth the fruits thereof. And as an adder, a toad, or a snake is hated of man, not for the evil it hath done, but for the poison that is in it, and hurt which it cannot but do: so am I hated of God for that natural poison which is conceived and borne with me before I do any outward evil. And as the evil which a venomous worm doth, maketh it not a serpent, but because it is a venomous worm, therefore doth it evil, and poisoneth: even so do not our evil deeds make us evil first, but because we are of nature evil, therefore do we evil, and think evil, to eternal damnation by the law, and are contrary to the will of God in our will and in all things consent unto the will of the fiend.

Euseb. Brother Timothie, I knowe what I say, God giue me grace to speak it with more liuely feeling of my weaknes and with a more bitter detestation of my sin. By nature through the fall of Adam am I the child of wrath, heire of the vengeance of God by birth: yea and so from my first conception: and I had my fellowship with the damned deuils vnder the power of darkenesse & rule of Satan, while I was yet in my mothers wombe: and although I shewed not the fruits of sinne as soone as I was borne nor long after: yet was I full of the naturall poison, from whence al wicked deedes doe spring, and cannot but sinne outwardly, as soone as I am able to worke (be I neuer so young) if occasion be giuen: for my nature is to sinne as is the nature of a serpent to sting: & and as a Serpent yet young, or yet vnbroughtforth is full of poison and cannot afterward (when time and occasion is giuen) but bring foorth the fruites threreof. And as an adder, a toade, or a snake is hated of man, not for the euill it hath done, but for the poison that is in it, and hurt which it cannot but doe: so am I hated of God for that naturall poison which is conceiued and borne with me before I doe any outward euill. And as the euill which a venemous worme doth, maketh it not a serpent, but because it is a venemous worm, therfore doth it euill, and poisoneth: euen so doe not our euill deedes make vs euil first, but because we are of nature euill, therefore doe we euill, and thinke euil, to eternall damnation by the lawe, and are contrarie to the will of God in our will and in all things consent vnto the will of the fiend.