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

Secondly, The right knowledge of this will make even the godly and regenerate, though in some measure delivered from the power and dominion of it, yet to see, that because of its stirrings and actings in them, there is imperfection, in every thing they do. And truly, this is one of the most profitable effects of true knowledge herein, for hereby a godly man is made to go out of all his graces, and his duties, hereby he is afraid of the iniquity of his holy things, and calls his very righteousness a menstruous rag. This is clear in Paul, Rom. 7. How sadly doth he complain of the vigorous actings of this original sin in him; For the present I take it as granted, that that part of the Chapter must be understood of a regenerate person (though vehemently denied by some) as is in time to be showed. That Law of sin was always moving, when he set himself to any thing that was holy, he desired to obey the Law perfectly, to love God completely, but this Law of sin would not let him: So that, because of this natural defilement, evil is mixed with all the good we do, insomuch that there would be a woe, and a curse to all our gracious acts, if strictly examined. Thus it is with a godly man in this life, as those Etruscan-robbers reported of by Aristotle, and mentioned by Austin, who would take some live men, and bind them to the dead men, which was a miserable way of perishing: Even thus it is here, original corruption is constantly adhering, and inseparably to him, who is alive in holiness, and by this means, there is unbelief in his faith, coldness in his zeal, dullness in his fervency; Insomuch that the Apostle crieth out of himself, Oh wretched man that I am! And that because of this very thing, the Papists, though they hold original sin, yet maintaining, That after Baptism it's quite taken away, and that though there be some languor and difficulty in a man, in respect of what is good, yet if we do not consent to these motions of lusts within us, they are not truly and properly sins, do consequentially conclude, that there is not necessarily dross and sin in every holy duty we do, but the evidence of Rom. 7. is too great to be contradicted. So that preaching of original sin is not only necessary to the unregenerate, but even to the most holy and godliest man that liveth;

Secondly, The right knowledge of this will make even the godly and regenerate, though in some measure delivered from the power and dominion of it, yet to see, that because of its stirrings and actings in them, there is imperfection, in every thing they do. And truly, this is one of the most profitable effects of true knowledge herein, for hereby a godly man is made to go out of all his graces, and his duties, hereby he is afraid of the iniquity of his holy things, and cals his very righteousness a menstruous ragge. This is clear in Paul,