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

¶. 2.

The Aggravation of Original Sin inherent in us.

The Aggravation of Original Sinne inherent in us.

Our next work is, to consider the aggravation of original sin inherent in us; and this is our duty to do, that so being sensible of our own contagion, we may not flatter our selves in the power of our free-will, but fly alone to Christ, who is a Physician and Saviour even to Infants, as well as grown men; and the rather we are to be serious and diligent in this, because of all those profane opinions which do either wholly deny it, or in a great measure extenuate it. Some Papists make it less then a venial sin, and many of them plead hard, that it doth not deserve hell, and eternal damnation: But no wonder this is done in Babylon, seeing in Jerusalem there are such oppugnators and extenuators of it; us if the Welsh Pelagius had not been enough, there is now a new English one started up, who, what with some absurd opinions from the Socinians, some from the most Heterodox of the Papists, as Durand, Pigbius Catharinus, &c. and many things from the old Pelagian, hath stuffed his late writings with much glory and pomp of words, especially against this original sin; what with his Hyperboles and Metonymies it is made no sin, but an original curse, rather then original sin, (Answ. to the Letter of Rom.) so pleasing it is to be Pigmilions, and to fall in love with our own purity, unwilling to be shut up under sin, that the gracious mercy of God may be alone exalted: And as the Socinians plead their reverence and zeal of honour to the Father, while they deny the Deity of the Son; so here is pleaded much reverence and tender regard to the Justice, Mercy and Goodness of God, much zeal to holiness and piety, as if the Doctrine of original sin did undermine all these; But of these cavils in time; for the present, let us not judge of sin and the guilt thereof by humane principles, and philosophical Arguments, but by the Word of God. And