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

I Shall now consider what is objected against this Interpretation, and shall not attend to the general objections, such as that, That who are Christs and regenerated have higher things attributed to them; They have crucified the flesh, they have mortifiedeth old man, &c. As also this seemeth to be injurious to Gods grace, it will encourage men in slothfulness and negligence, &c. for these shall be answered in the general. I shall therefore only pitch upon two objections, which the Adversaries insist upon.

The first is, That this person here spoken of, is said to be once without the Law, which (say they) is the description of a Gentile in Paul's language; therefore he assumeth some other person then his own; for Paul always lived under the Law. Austin indeed expounds it thus, I did live once without the Law. that is, saith he, when he was a child, before he had the use of reason. This is too harsh. Therefore it is better answered, The person here spoken of, is not said to be without the Law, which is indeed the description of a Gentile, but that he was alive without the Law once, that is, he, as all the Pharisees understood the Law of God, as forbidding only external sins, and Paul living unblameably as to that respect, thought to have life and righteousness by the Law, but when the commandment came in power to him, and he was convinced that it did prohibit not only outward sins, but inward lustings of heart, then he began to find himself a greater sinner than he was aware of; then he found the Law to be death to him, so that he lived without the Law, because he was not affected with the full and exact obligation thereof.

The first is, That this person here spoken of, is said to be once without the Law, which (say they) is the description of a Gentile in Paul's language; therefore he assumeth some other person then his own; for Paul alwayes lived under the Law. Austin indeed expounds it thus, I did live once without the Law. that is, saith he, when he was a child, before he had the use of reason. This is too harsh. Therefore it is better answered, The person here spoken of, is not said to be without the Law, which is indeed the description of a Gentile, but that he was alive without the Law once, that is, he, as all the Pharisees understood the Law of God, as forbidding only external sins, and Paul living unblameably as to that respect, thought to have life and righteousness by the Law, but when the commandment came in power to him, and he was convinced that it did prohibit not only outward sins, but inward lustings of heart, then he began to find himself a greater sinner than he was aware of; then he found the Law to be death to him, so that he lived without the Law, because he was not affected with the full and exact obligation therof.