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

What a strong demonstration then is this of the inbred corruption of mankind, that under all the means of grace doth yet overflow in impieties? I shall not mention any more Texts for this purpose; The whole scope of the Scripture being to declare mans sinfulness, and extol Gods grace.

What a strong demonstration then is this of the imbred corruption of mankind, that under all the means of grace doth yet overflow in impicties? I shall not mention any more Texts for this purpose; The whole scope of the Scripture being to declare mans sinfulness, and extoll Gods grace.

Secondly, This universal propensity to sin in all mankind, is likewise attested unto, even by the very Heathens. It's true, they knew nothing of Adams tall, nor of the propagation of this hereditary pollution, yet the sinfulness it self they perceived and groaned under it. Even Grotius himself, who would elude the pregnant Texts of Scripture for original sin, by the Rhetoricians trope of Hyperbole, yet doth bring in many passages out of the Heathens, acknowledging such a depravation of mans nature, out of Heriocles the Philosopher & Jamblichus, that it is [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew], it's implanted and engrafted in us to sin, (Comment. in Luc. cap. 2. ver. 22. as also De Jure botli as paci lib. 2. Yea out of Aristotle, who held this indifferency in mans nature, he brings that expression, [Greek or Hebrew], it is inbred in a man to gain-say reason. Thus the very Heathens, though they knew not the cause, yet could not but confess, that vitium ingenita infirmitatis, the vicious inbred infirmity that is in every man. Yea their Poets have acknowledged better Divinity, then some later writers in the Church, witness those sayings, Quantuns mortalia peceatora coecae noctis habent? and another, Vitiis neme sine nascitur; A third, Terras Astraeae reliquit, feigning our originals to be of stones; Inde genus duri sumus: Homines suâ naturâ sunt malis, as Plato. We might be large also in bringing the witnesses of others, Nihil homine miserius & superbius (said Pliny) simul atque edi•i sumus; and Tully, In omni continuò pravitate versamur, &c. And what is that saying, Humanum est errare, but according to Divinity, Humanum est peccare? Thus the light of nature, though but like that of the Owl to the Sun, could perceive something in this kind. Now this testimony is the more to be regarded, because it is so inbred a desire in us, to