The Soul's Conflict with Itself

It is no mitigation of sin, to plead it is natural, for natural diseases (as leprosies) that are derived from Parents, are most dangerous, and least curable; Neither is this any excuse, for because as it is natural, so it is voluntary, not only in Adam, in whose loins we were, and therefore sinned; but likewise in regard of our selves, who are so far from stopping the course of sin either in our selves or others, that we feed and strengthen it, or at least give more way to it, and provide less against it then we should, until we come under the government of grace; and by that means, we justify Adams sin, and that corrupt estate that followeth upon it, and show, that if we had been in Adams condition our selves, we would have made that ill choice which he made. And though ⟨p. 162⟩this corruption of our nature be necessary to us, yet it is no violent necessity from an outward cause, but a necessity that we willingly pull upon our selves, and therefore ought the more to humble us; for the more necessarily we sin, ¹the more voluntarily, and the more voluntarily, the more necessarily; the will putting it self voluntarily into these fetters of sin. Necessity is no plea, when the will is the immediate cause of any action: Mens hearts tell them they might rule their desires if they would; For tell a man of any dish which he liketh, that there is poison in it, and he will not meddle with it; So tell him ²that death is in that sin which he is about to commit, and he will abstain if he believe it be so; if he believe it not, it is his voluntary unbelief and atheism.

It is no mitigation of sinne, to plead it is naturall, for naturall diseases (as leprosies) that are derived from Parents, are most dangerous, and least curable; Neither is this any excuse, for because as it is naturall, so it is voluntary, not onely in Adam, in whose loines wee were, and therefore sinned; but likewise in regard of our selves, who are so farre from stopping the course of sin either in our selves or others, that wee feed and strengthen it, or at least give more way to it, and provide lesse against it then wee should, untill wee come under the government of grace; and by that meanes, we justifie Adams sinne, and that corrupt estate that followeth upon it, and shew, that if we had beene in Adams condition our selves, wee would have made that ill choice which hee made. And though