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

Ninthly, Original pollution doth greatly defile the mind of a man in the mutability §IXand instability of it? Insomuch that the judgement of every natural man, destitute of true light and faith, which doth only consolidate the soul, is like a reed shaken with every wind; he is mutable and various, ready every day, or every year to have a new Faith, and a new Religion; This maketh the Apostle inform us, That one end of the Ministry, Ephes. 4. 14. is, That we be not ⟨p. 218⟩carried away with every wind of Doctrine; Such empty straws and feathers are we, that any new opinion doth presently seduce us; and therefore the Scripture doth press a sound mind, and an heart established with grace, which is the special preservative against such instability. Aquinas maketh this the reason of the good Angels confirmation in grace, and that they cannot now sin, because such is the perfection and immutability of their natures, that what their understanding doth once adhere unto, they cannot change. Indeed it is thus with God, that his knowledge is unchangeable, but there is no reason to attribute this to Angels, and therefore their confirmation in good, is not so much to be attributed to any intrinsical cause in themselves, as to the grace of God establishing them; But how far short was man newly created of such immutability? How much more then man fallen? From this pollution it is, that we have so many apostates, that there are Seekers, that there are so many Neutrals, that there are so many who think any, in any Religion may be saved. It is true, there may be a just cause of changing our minds in Religion, as when educated in Popery, or when we have received any heretical opinions, but I speak here of that instability which is naturally in the mind of a man, that though he be in the truth, yet there is a proneness to desert it, and to discover much lenity in the matters of Religion. The Remonstrants go too far this way, commending this sinfulness under the name of modesty and humility, and therefore, though in Fundamentals they will grant we may say, This our faith is, This we do believe, yet in other points (which though not fundamentals, yet the errors about them may greatly derogate from the glory of Christ and his grace, as also much prejudice the consolations of those who truly fear God, as their opinions do.)