Thirdly, Original sin polluteth the understanding, by making it to incline to curiosity, and a prying into such things, which God hath not revealed. Adam's actual sin, which is our original imputed one, was partly this, They desired to be as gods, to know good and evil, which hath left its impression upon all: Like the Bethshemite, we desire to be looking into the Ark. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 4. 6, as he would not have the Corinthians, think of men, above that which is written, so much less of God contrary to that which is revealed: ⟨p. 213⟩This is a great evil upon the understandings of men by original sin that now the mind is not contented with the rule God hath given it; They think it a small and contemptible matter to know no more then what may be known by the Scripture, but they affect extraordinary things; This curiosity is that which filled the Church once with so many Schoolmen and their Questions, as Egypt was once with Caterpillars. It is true, School-divinity hath its use, and so far as they deal solidly, and improve natural reason in any point, they are very admirable; but when once they fall into their useless, unprofitable and sublime Questions, where neither the Word of God, or sure reason can conduct them, then they vanish like smoke in the air: how rash are they in their Disputes about Angels? With what nice conceits have they obscured the Doctrine of the Trinity? Insomuch that we may see much of original sin in them, inclining and hurrying of them to a bold and venturous determination of such things, which God hath not manifested; so that none of their seraphical, sublime, or angelical Doctors, could begin their Disputations, as John his Epistle: That which we have seen, we have heard, and our hands have handled; 1 Joh 1. 1. Though therefore the Schoolmen have in somethings their great use, yet in their difficult niceties, which are but as so many cob-webs, there they are as much to be slighted; as one king did a man, who boasted, he could stand at a distance and throw a grain of corn through the eye of a needle. Again this original curiosity of the mind, venteth it self in all those Magic Arts and Witchcrafts which have abounded in the world; as also in judiciary Astrology, and such deceitful impostures, men affecting, as Adam did, to be like God, to be able to declare the things that are to come. Act. 19▪ 19.
Thirdly, Original sin polluteth the understanding, by making it to incline to curiosity, and a prying into such things, which God hath not revealed. Adam's actual sinne, which is our original imputed one, was partly this, They desired to be as gods, to know good and evil, which hath left its impression upon all: Like the Bethshemite, we desire to be looking into the Ark. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 4. 6, as he would not have the Corinthians, think of men, above that which is written, so much less of God contrary to that which is revealed: ⟨p. 213⟩This is a great evil upon the understandings of men by original sinne that now the mind is not contented with the rule God hath given it; They think it a small and contemptible matter to know no more then what may be known by the Scripture, but they affect extraordinary things; This curiosity is that which filled the Church once with so many Schoolemen and their Questions, as Aegypt was once with Caterpillars. It is true, School-divinity hath its use, and so farre as they deal solidly, and improve natural reason in any point, they are very admirable; but when once they fall into their useless, unprofitable and sublime Questions, where neither the Word of God, or sure reason can conduct them, then they vanish like smoak in the air: how rash are they in their Disputes about Angels? With what nice conceits have they obscured the Doctrine of the Trinity? Insomuch that we may see much of original sinne in them, inclining and hurrying of them to a bold and venturous determination of such things, which God hath not manifested; so that none of their seraphical, sublime, or angelical Doctors, could begin their Disputations, as John his Epistle: That which we have seen, we have heard, and our hands have handled; 1 Joh 1. 1. Though therefore the Schoolemen have in somethings their great use, yet in their difficult niceties, which are but as so many cob-webs, there they are as much to be slighted; as one king did a man, who boasted, he could stand at a distance and throw a grain of corn through the eie of a needle. Again this original curiosity of the mind, venteth it self in all those Magick Arts and Witchcrafts which have abounded in the world; as also in judiciary Astrology, and such deceitful impostures, men affecting, as Adam did, to be like God, to be able to declare the things that are to come. Act. 19▪ 19.
