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

Thirdly, This person must be a regenerate person, because there are two distinct principles in him, Sin and He are made two different things, vers. 17. It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me: And ver. 18. I know that in me (that is my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; Here then are (as it were) two distinct persons; this person hath two selves, which doth necessarily demonstrate that this is a sanctified person. For can a man under legal convictions say, It is not I, but sin within me? Can he that hath only errors upon his soul say, It is not I, but sin within me? How absurd and false were that, for their hearts are set upon evil, only the terrors of the Law restrain them? Now a man is, what his heart is, not what his conviction is. It is true, the Libertines did abuse this Doctrine, and would thereby acquit themselves, it was not they, but the flesh: Yea some blasphemously would attribute it to God himself; but till a man be regenerated, he hath but one self, and that is the flesh. But (saith Arminius) those legal preparatory workings by the Law, are the good gift of God, and are to be reckoned among the works of the Spirit, and therefore the Apostle may oppose them and sin together. To this it is answered, Though those legal operations are from Gods Spirit, yet because the person is not regenerated, he is still in the state of the flesh, he is still without Christ, and therefore cannot distinguish himself from the flesh within him. As long as those good gifts of God are not in a subject regenerated, the same person and the flesh are all one. Yea though those good effects come from Gods Spirit, and so are in themselves spiritual, yet as they are in a person unregenerated, they are improved carnally, they are managed only to self-respects; and thus temporary believers, though they do enjoy the good and common gifts of Gods Spirit, yet as they are in them, they are carnally improved, spiritual things being prostituted to temporal ends. It is plain then, that only a godly man may say, It is not I, but sin in me; and thus Aquinas on the place saith, it may be easily understood of a man in the state of grace, and of a sinner, it can be only interpreted extortè, by violence:

Thirdly, This person must be a regenerate person, because there are two distinct principles in him, Sinne and He are made two different things, vers. 17. It is no more I that do it, but sinne that dwelleth in me: And ver. 18. I know that in me (that is my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; Here then are (as it were) two distinct persons; this person hath two selfs, which doth necessarily demonstrate that this is a sanctified person. For can a man under legal convictions say, It is not I, but sinne within me? Can he that hath only errors upon his soul say, It is not I, but sinne within me? How absurd and false were that, for their hearts are set upon evil, only the terrours of the Law restrain them? Now a man is, what his heart is, not what his conviction is. It is true, the Libertines did abuse this Doctrine, and would thereby acquit themselves, it was not they, but the flesh: Yea some blasphemously would attribute it to God himself; but till a man be regenerated, he hath but one self, and that is the flesh. But (saith Arminius) those legal preparatory workings by the Law, are the good gift of God, and are to be reckoned among the works of the Spirit, and therefore the Apostle may oppose them and sinne together. To this it is answered, Though those legal operations are from Gods Spirit, yet because the person is not regenerated, he is still in the state of the flesh, he is still without Christ, and therefore cannot distinguish himself from the flesh within him. As long as those good gifts of God are not in a subject regenerated, the same person and the flesh are all one. Yea though those good effects come from Gods Spirit, and so are in themselves spiritual, yet as they are in a person unregenerated, they are improved carnally, they are managed only to self-respects; and thus temporary believers, though they do enjoy the good and common gifts of Gods Spirit, yet as they are in them, they are carnally improved, spiritual things being prostituted to temporal ends. It is plain then, that onely a godly man may say, It is not I, but sinne in me; and thus Aquinas on the place saith, it may be easily understood of a man in the state of grace, and of a sinner, it can be only interpreted extortè, by violence: