A Golden Chain

Lastly, here we may learn the nature of sin. The spirit is not a substance but a quality: and therefore the flesh which is nothing else but original sin, and is contrary to the spirit, must also be a quality: for such as the nature of one contrary is, such is the other. There is in every man the substance of body and soul, this can not be sin, for then the spirit also should be the substance of man. There is also in the substance the faculties of body and soul: and they can not be sin, for then every man should have lost the faculties of his soul by Adams fall. Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law: and that is properly sin and the flesh, which is contrary to the spirit.

Lastly, here we may learne the nature of sinne. The spirit is not a substance but a qualitie: and therefore the flesh which is nothing else but originall sinne, and is contrarie to the spirit, must also be a qualitie: for such as the nature of one contrarie is, such is the other. There is in euery man the substance of bodie and soule, this can not be sinne, for then the spirit also should be the substance of man. There is also in the substance the faculties of bodie and soule: and they can not be sinne, for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall. Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law: and that is properly sinne and the flesh, which is contrarie to the spirit.

The fourth point is, touching the persons in whom this combat is. Paul shows who they are, when he saith, So that ye can not, &c. where it appears, that such as have this combat in them must be as the Galatians, men justified and sanctified: and yet not all such, but only they that be of years: for the infants of the faithful, howsoever we must repute them to belong to the kingdom of heaven, and therefore to be justified and sanctified: yet because they do not commit actual sin, they want this combat of the flesh and spirit, which stands in action. As for those which be unregenerate, they never felt this fight. If any say that the worst man in the world, when he is about to commit any sin, hath a strife and fight in him. It is true indeed: but that is an other kind of combat, which is between the conscience and the heart. The conscience on the one part terrifying the man from sin: the will and the affections hailing and pulling him thereunto: the will and the affections wishing and desiring that sin were no sin, and Gods commandment abolished: whereas contrariwise the conscience with a shrill voice proclaims sin to be sin. This fight was in Pilate, who by the force of his conscience feared to condemn Christ; and yet was willing, and yielded to condemn him that he might please the people.