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

Again, Our intention is much more corrupted in making the means to be the end; we make a perfect period and stop at a Comma, or a Colon; and truly this is the general and universal corruption of every mans natural intention; he shooteth his arrow too short, he intends no further, then an happy pleasant and merry life in this world; one intends honours, another intends wealth, another intends pleasures: There is no natural man can intend any higher good then some creature or other; That as the brute beasts have a kind of improper intention, as they have of reason, whereby they are carried out to those things only that are obvious to sense: Thus it is with man in his natural estate, destitute of regeneration; a worm can as soon fly like a Lark towards Heaven, as this man intend any thing that is spiritually good: for the natural man hath neither a mind or an heart for such holy things, and so is like an Archer that hath neither eyes or hands, and thereby can never reach the mark.

Again, Our intenton is much more corrupted in making the meanes to be the end; we make a perfect period and stop at a Comma, or a Colon; and truly this is the general and universal corruption of every mans natural intention; he shooteth his arrow too short, he intends no further, then an happy pleasant and merry life in this world; one intends honours, another intends wealth, another intends pleasures: There is no natural man can intend any higher good then some creature or other; That as the bruit beasts have a kind of improper intention, as they have of reason, whereby they are carried out to those things only that are obvious to sense: Thus it is with man in his natural estate, destitute of regeneration; a worme can as soon fly like a Lark towards Heaven, as this man intend any thing that is spiritually good: for the natural man hath neither a mind or an heart for such holy things, and so is like an Archer that hath neither eyes or hands, and thereby can never reach the mark.

Secondly, The intention of the will is corrupted in its error and mistake about its object, it shooteth at a wrong mark▪ It's really and indeed evil which he intendeth, though it be apparently good, it is in truth poison, though it be gilded; It is true, the rule is, Nemo intendens malum operatur; No man intendeth evil as evil, but it is propounded under the notion of good, and that even in those who sin against the light, and dictates of their own conscience: But yet the Scripture speaketh constantly of wicked men, as those that love evil, and will evil, and hate good, because it is evil, which their wills are carried out unto, though it hath the outward bait and colour of what is good. Herein then we have cause with bitterness of heart to bewail our sinful intentions, thou dost but cozen and delude thy own self, Though thou hast many glosses, many colours and pretences to deceive thy self with, yet that which in deed and truth doth allure and bewitch thy soul is evil in the appearance, (as it were) of some real good: a strumpet, in Matrons clothes.