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

The work next in order, is to discover the pollution of every mans conscience by original sin, And

THe work next in order, is to discover the pollution of every mans conscience by original sinne, And

First,¹ There is naturally a blindness and a veil upon it, whereby it horribly misjudgeth, and so deserveth the Prophets woe, calling evil good, and good evil, light darkness, and darkness light. Take the conscience of an Heathen, not enlightened by Gods, Word, and what darkness covereth the face of it? how enthralled to Idols, as if they were a god that could either damn of save? yea, the consciences of some Heretics have had such Egyptian darkness upon them, that they have thought they have served God by doing most abominable, and unnatural things; Insomuch that had not some of the Ancients, worthy of credit, delivered such things about them, we could never have believed that the conscience of a man could be so far blinded, as to think such things lawful,² much less a worship of God. The Gnostics taught, That fornications and uncleanness were frequently to be exercised, so as to avoid all conception, and if a child did follow, they would draw it from the womb, beat it in a ••rter, season it with honey and pepper, and so eat it, saying, That in this manner they did celebrate the great Passover. The Carpocratians also affirmed, That every one was bound to commit sin, and that the souls were put into the bodies, till ⟨p. 226⟩they did fulfil the measure of their iniquities, applying that in the parable to this purpose, Thou shalt not go out till thou hast paid the last farthing. So the Montanists made a sacrifice of the blood of an infant a year old, which they did with needles (in a most cruel manner) prick to death: These also said, That it was as great a sin to pull a leaf off the tree, as to kill a man. The Donatists would throw themselves from steep mountains and drown themselves in waters, to make themselves Martyrs; what horrid blindness was here upon their consciences? It is true indeed, these were not suddenly made thus abominable, Therefore here was a voluntary contracted blindness upon their conscience, and a judicial one inflicted upon them, God giving them up to blindness, yet had there not been such inbred error upon the conscience, such natural blindness upon it, it could never be improved to such height of impiety: Oh then groan under this blindness that is naturally upon thy conscience!