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

SECT. I.

I Am only demonstrating, that it is sin, and not what it is; Therefore I proceed no further in the positive Explication of it, but come to answer those Objections, that are made by all sorts of persons against this sin, whether Pelagians, some Papists, Arminians or Socinians; And when these Clouds are dispelled, the light of the Truth will shine more evidently. And

I Am only demonstrating, that it is sin, and not what it is; Therefore I proceed no further in the positive Explication of it, but come to answer those Objections, that are made by all sorts of persons against this sinne, whether Pelagians, some Papists, Arminians or Socinians; And when these Clouds are dispelled, the light of the Truth will shine more evidently. And

Object. Every sin (say they) must be voluntary; This is a principle engrafted, as they conceive, in the conscience of a man: No man is to be faulted, or blamed for that which is not in his power to prevent; And they press that known Rule of Austins, Usque adeo voluntarium peccatum est malum, quod non sit peccatum, nisi voluntarium, If it be not voluntary, it cannot be any sin at all. Now (say they) this original sin comes upon us by natural necessity, it lieth no more in our power to prevent it, then to hinder our being born; Shall then we conceive God willing to damn a man, especially an Infant, for that sin which never was in his power, or his will to do? This they think cannot be admitted. Therefore though some of them grant, Adam's actual sin may be made ours, because our will is interpretatively in his, yet not this inherent corruption, because this is a particular personal sin, and so requireth a personal actual will to make it a sin. And this seemeth to have some plausible colour, while we attend only to principles of humane Reason, and Arguments of Philosophy: But let us see, whether it will not be too light, if weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary. And