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…

The fourth Question is, Whether natural concupiscence may be esteemed a reigning sin? To which I answer, That as a child may be borne a king, and be crowned in his cradle; so sin in the womb may reign. And indeed Concupiscence is of all other the sinning sin, and¹ most exceeding sinful. So that as there is virtually and radically more water in a fountain though it seem very narrow, then in the streams which flow from it, though far wider, because though the streams should all dry up, yet there is enough in the fountain to supply all again: so the sin of nature hath indeed more fundamental foulness in it, then the actual sins which arise from it, as being the adulterous womb which is ever of it self prostituted to the injections of any diabolical or worldly temptations, and greedy to clasp, cherish and organize the seeds of any sin. So that properly the reign of sin is founded in Lust; for they are ou• lusts which are to be satisfied in any sinful obedience;² All the subsidies, succours, contributions which are brought in are spent upon Lust; and therefore not to mourn for and bewail this natural concupiscence, as David and Paul did, is a manifest sign of the reign of³ lust. For there is no medium, if sin, which cannot be avoided▪ be not lamented neither, it is undoubtedly obeyed.

The fourth Question is, Whether naturall concupiscence may be esteemed a raigning sinne? To which I answere, That as a childe may be borne a king, and be crowned in his cradle; so sinne in the wombe may raigne. And indeed Concupiscence is of all other the sinning sinne, and¹ most exceeding sinfull. So that as there is virtually and radically more water in a fountaine though it seeme very narrow, then in the streames which flow from it, though farre wider, because though the streames should all dry up, yet there is enough in the fountaine to supply all againe: so the sinne of nature hath indeed more fundamentall foul•nesse in it, then the actuall sinnes which arise from it, as being the adulterous wombe which is ever of it selfe prostituted to the injections of any diabolicall or worldly temptations, and greedy to claspe, cherish and organize the seeds of any sinne. So that properly the raigne of sinne is founded in Lust; for they are ou lusts which are to be satisfied in any sinfull obedience;