4. Some add the Root of it, and that (they say) is not destroyed till the body be consumed to ashes. For although it be true, that death putteth an end to all sin, yet that must be understood of an ultimate and final death; otherwise if it be a dispensatory death, as it was to Lazarus and some others; as that did not put a period to their bodily miseries, when they lived again, so neither did it to sinfulness in their souls. But even Lazarus and such like persons raised upon a special economy were regenerated but in part; and this conflict of flesh and Spirit was in them, and so they needed to pray for forgiveness of sin. But though we must acknowledge, that original sin hath not the power in a godly man it once had. All the difficulty is, Whether it be by suppression of it only, or abolishing part of it; and if original sin be in part diminished, How can the whole of it be propagated to the child? Or why may not the last part of it be consumed in this life? It may be this Question may be more subtle then profitable. Scotus, as Pererius allegeth him (in Rom. cap. 7.) thinketh that in a godly man original sin is not at all abated, only grace is every day augmented, and so that cannot weigh us down, as it did before: As (saith he) if an Eagle should have any weight upon her, but the strength of her wings be increased, then though the weight were not diminished, yet because her strength is increased, it would not hinder her in flying. But to answer this Question, we must conclude, that in regeneration original sin is more then suppressed, there is a qualitative change, and so a diminishing of darkness in the mind, by light; of evil in the will by holiness: So that the increasing of ⟨p. 504⟩these graces do necessarily argue the decreasing of original sin. And For this purpose the Scripture useth those terms of crucifying and mortifying; only when we say, original sin is diminished: You must not understand it hath quantative parts, as if they were cut off by degrees, but potestative, that is, the power and efficacy of original sin is not so lively, so vehement as it was once, yet where it is thus weakened, a regenerate person begetteth a son in an unregenerate estate, because he is the son of Adam fallen, and is not a father as he is godly, but as he is a man.
4. Some adde the Root of it, and that (they say) is not destroyed till the body be consumed to ashes. For although it be true, that death putteth an end to all sinne, yet that must be understood of an ultimate and final death; otherwise if it be a dispensatory death, as it was to Lazarus and some others; as that did not put a period to their bodily miseries, when they lived again, so neither did it to sinfulness in their souls. But even Lazarus and such like persons raised upon a special economy were regenerated but in part; and this conflict of flesh and Spirit was in them, and so they needed to pray for forgiveness of sinne. But though we must acknowledge, that original sinne hath not the power in a godly man it once had. All the difficulty is, Whether it be by suppression of it onely, or abolishing part of it; and if original sinne be in part diminished, How can the whole of it be propagated to the child? Or why may not the last part of it be consumed in this life? It may be this Question may be more subtil then profitable. Scotus, as Pererius alledgeth him (in Rom. cap. 7.) thinketh that in a godly man original sinne is not at all abated, onely grace is every day augmented, and so that cannot weigh us down, as it did before: As (saith he) if an Eagle should have any weight upon her, but the strength of her wings be increased, then though the weight were not diminished, yet because her strength is increased, it would not hinder her in flying. But to answer this Question, we must conclude, that in regeneration original sinne is more then suppressed, there is a qualitative change, and so a diminishing of darknesse in the mind, by light; of evil in the will by holinesse: So that the encreasing of ⟨p. 504⟩these graces do necessarily argue the decreasing of original sinn. And For this purpose the Scripture useth those termes of crucifying and mortifying; onely when we say, original sinne is diminished: You must not understand it hath quantative parts, as if they were cut off by degrees, but potestative, that is, the power and efficacy of original sinne is not so lively, so vehement as it was once, yet where it is thus weakned, a regenerate person begetteth a sonne in an unregenerate estate, because he is the sonne of Adam fallen, and is not a father as he is godly, but as he is a man.
