A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

The Doctrine of Original Corruption is as extensive in the usefulnes•• of it, •as the sin it self is diffusive in the contagion thereof; so that as there is none born in a natural way, who can plead an immaculate conception, either is there any who doth not need profitable information herein, for the deep and radical Humiliation of himself before God. As for the Doctrine of it, it's easy and difficult; easy, because we palpably and evident ly find the effects thereof▪ Difficult, because the exact knowledge of it being chiefly be divine Revelation; No•onder if those, who attend to ⟨image 3⟩Aristotle more than Paul, and des••• be •ationales, rather than fideles, have gro••ely […] in the dark they walk in. It is the old known saying of Austin, Antiquo peccato nihil ad praedicandum notius, nihil ad intelligendum secr•••. Hence it is that as a Popish Writer well observeth (Elisim piorum Clip. Quest. 12. Artic. 1.) When we have heard what any learned men can say, yet still we desire to know more about it, Nil de eo legitur, quin amplius de eo legi desideratur. By enquiring, our appetites are not so much satisfied, as provoked, •et the light of the Scripture is sufficient; as to all necessary saving Knowledge about it; And as for Curiosities and needless Subtleties, which are a shell in the Controversy, we may throw them them away, and eat the Kernel. It is acknowledged both by Papists and Protestants, that the Controversies about Original Sin, are of very great importance. Stapleton chargeth us (Proleg. Disput. de peccat. Originali) with two capital maternal Errors, the one about the Scriptures; the other about Original Sin, as if these two were the Jachin and B••z our Temple is built upon, as if these were the two breasts from which all other erroneous Doctrines suck their pestiferous nature. We again on the other side, do propugn these two Principles (the former whereof we may call Principium cognoscendi, and the later principium essendi) as the two fountains of Doctrinal ⟨image 3⟩