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

The first whereof is, an affectation of equality with God himself. Thus the will of a poor weak wretch, that cannot turn a white hair into black, whose breath is in his nostrils, that hath the same originals for his body as a worm hath, yet the aspireth after a Deity, and would be like God himself. As

1. in attempting to make gods, and then to worship them. What pride and vanity is in man to take upon him to make what he intends to worship; so that what man pleaseth shall be a god, and what pleaseth him not shall be none, Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit. Thus whereas God at first made man after his image now man maketh God after his image; Besides the horrible blindness that is upon the mind in this thing, there is also pride and arrogancy of the will; what is this but to assume superiority over their own gods, which yet they worship, and adore? But

2. This pride of the will is more conspicuously manifested, In affecting to be like the true God, not to endure him to be a superior above us: While our first parents had not any internal pollution at all upon them, yet this sin did presently insinuate them, whereby they aspired after a Deity: therefore the Devil tempted them with this suitable bait, Ye shall be like Gods knowing good and evil: That sin of Adam hath still a more peculiar impression upon mankind: Whence came that abominable and blasphemous custom into the world of deifying men, (which they called Daimons,) but from that inbred pride of the will, desiring to be like God▪ Ezek. 28. 2. Thus it was with that Prince of Tyre, he lifted up himself and said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, thou ⟨p. 286⟩hast ser thine heart as the heart of God; What detestable and loath some arrogancy is here? Oh the patience of God, that doth not immediately consume such a wretch, as he did Herod who sinned not so highly, for he did not proclaim he was God only the people by way of flattering cried out the voice of God, and not of man, which because he did not disclaim but secretly owned, therefore was such a remarkable punishment inflicted upon him. We see from these instances what pride lurketh in mans will, there is the cockatrice egg which may quickly prove to be a flying Serpent: This pride is thought also to be the sin of the Devil, whereby he was not contented with the station God had put him, but was ambitious of a divine nature, as if he with Christ might think it no robbery to be equal with God. This unspeakable arrogancy did show it self notoriously in some great Potentates of the world, Caius Caesar especially, (for which cause Grotius though absurdly maketh him to be the Antichrist) that did exalt himself above all that is called God. This madness of pride was as visible in Alexander, who though sometimes through the consciousness of humane imbecility (as when he was wounded and saw blood fall from him) would refuse such a thought, yet at other times he did industriously affect to be related among the number of the Gods, and to have divine worship performed to him, and as the son of Jupiter, Hammon, would be pictured with horns, and Jupiters Priest meeting of him instead of that form, [Greek or Hebrew], did purposely mistake, saying, [Greek or Hebrew], Hail thou son of Jupiter;