Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

but in regard of the Continuance of it, so deficienter, Gods justice and wisdom hath a hand in it, who as he is the most just avenger of his own wrongs and the most free disposer of his own gifts, so hath he in both respects been pleased to with-hold his image formerly rejected, and not to obtrude upon ingrateful and unworthy men so precious an endowment, of which the former contempt and indignity had justly made them ever after destitute. Concupiscence we may conceive both as a disorder, and as a penalty. Consider it as a punishment, and so though it be not by God effected in nature, (for he tempteth no man, much less doth he corrupt any) yet is it subject to his wisdom and ordination, who after he had been by Adam forsaken, did then forsake him likewise, and give him up into the hand of his own counsel, leaving him to transmit upon others that seminary of uncleanness, which himself had contracted. Consider it as a vice, and so we say that lust, or flesh doth not belong to the parts as such or such parts, but is the disease of the whole nature, either part whereof though it do not equally descend from Adam, yet may he justly be esteemed the Father and Fountain of ⟨p. 212⟩the whole nature, because though generation do not make all the materials and parts of nature, yet doth it work to the uniting of them, and constituting of the whole by them. So then natural corruption is from Ad•m alone meritoriously by reason of his first prevarication; from Adam by our parents seminally, and by generation and contagion; but under favour I conceive that it is not from the body in the soul, but equally and universally from the whole nature as a guilty, forsaken, and accursed nature, by some secret and ineffable resultancie therefrom, under those relations of Guilt and cursedness. This with submission to the learned I conceive in that great question touching the penalenesse, and traduction of original concupiscence, reserving to others their liberty in such things, wherein a latitude of opinions may consist with the unity of faith and love.

but in regard of the Continuance of it, so deficienter, Gods justice and wisedome hath a hand in it, who as he is the most just avenger of his owne wrongs and the most free disposer of his owne gifts, so hath hee in both respects been pleased to whith-hold his image formerly rejected, and not to obtrude upon ingratefull and unworthy men so pretious an endowment, of which the former contempt and indignitie had justly made them ever after destitute. Concupiscence wee may conceive both as a disorder, and as a penaltie. Consider it as a punishment, and so though it bee not by God effected in nature, (for he tempteth no man, much lesse doth hee corrupt any) yet is it subject to his wisedome and ordination, who after he had been by Adam forsaken, did then forsake him likewise, and give him up into the hand of his owne counsell, leaving him to transmit upon others that seminarie of uncleannesse, which himselfe had contracted. Consider it as a vice, and so wee say that lust, or flesh doth not belong to the parts as such or such parts, but is the disease of the whole nature, either part whereof though it doe not equally descend from Adam, yet may hee justly bee esteem'd the Father and Fountaine of