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

let faith lay the foundation, then reason may confirm and adorn. It is Stella his comparison, Takes the mould of the earth from the root of the tree, that is decaying, and put your compost and dung to it, and after that throw in your would again, and then that will be exceedingly advantageous to help the fruitfulness of the tree, which was an impediment before: Thus reason superadded will illustrate faith, whereas if laid as a foundation stone, it will endanger all. But that which doth for the most part corrupt us, is, We first receive opinions according to humane persuasions, and then going to the Scripture, we think that speaketh according to our prepossessed imaginations. Philosophers were the Patriarchs of Heretics; Platonical Philosophy in the Fathers, and Aristotelical in the Schoolmen hath wonderfully debased the pure gold of divine truths.

let faith lay the foundation, then reason may confirme and adorne. It is Stella his comparison, Takes the mould of the earth from the root of the tree, that is decaying, and put your compost and dung to it, and after that throw in your would again, and then that will be exceedingly advantagious to help the fruitfulness of the tree, which was an impediment before: Thus reason superadded will illustrate faith, whereas if laid as a foundationstone, it will indanger all. But that which doth for the most part corrupt us, is, We first receive opinions according to humane perswasions, and then going to the Scripture, we think that speaketh according to our prepossessed imaginations. Philosophers were the Patriarches of Heretiques; Placonical Phylosophy in the Fathers, and Aristotelical in the Schoolemen hath wonderfully debased the pure gold of divine truths.

2. He that would not dangerously err in this necessary point, he must mortify self-love, he must above all things take breed of a self-righteousness and self-admiration: For our corruption herein, is, that which maketh us to judge every thing unjust in God that is not pleasing to us; we will rather naturally accuse God a thousand times over, then accuse or condemn our selves; As the love of God had supreme dominion in Adam's heart while in the state of integrity, so in man fallen on the contrary, self-love is that which keepeth the principality in our souls; so that whatsoever we now love, it is because we love our selves; Why doth the covetous man love wealth, but because he loveth himself? Why doth the ambitious man honours, the voluptuous man pleasures, but because he loveth himself? yea this extends to God also, we love nothing of God, but for our selves, as if God were for us, not we for God; Hence it is that we would have a god like us; we make an Idol-god in our hearts instead of the true God; That which God chargeth upon some sinners,