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

To understand this therefore, take notice, That in sin there is the Obliquity, and the Action to which this Obliquity is annexed; Now sin in the Obliquity of it, so it is not a punishment, but in the action or materiale of it, to which it doth adhere: As for instance, Those vile and unclean lusts the Heathens were given up unto, were a punishment of their rebellion unto the light; Now as they were sins in their formality, so they were only permissivè and ordinativè of God; but take the Actions subtracted to that Obliquity, which was in them, so they were efficienter of God, and he gave them up to their lusts.

To understand this therefore, take notice, That in sinne there is the Obliquity, and the Action to which this Obliquity is annexed; Now sinne in the Obliquity of it, so it is not a punishment, but in the action or materiale of it, to which it doth adhere: As for instance, Those vile and unclean lusts the Heathens were given up unto, were a punishment of their rebellion unto the light; Now as they were sinnes in their formality, so they were onely permissivè and ordinativè of God; but take the Actions substracted to that Obliquity, which was in them, so they were efficienter of God, and he gave them up to their lusts.

2. When God doth punish one sin with another, the meaning is not, as if he did infuse this wickedness, but only he denieth that mollifying and softening grace, which if a man had, he would resist the temptations of sin, as in this particular of original sin; You must not conceive of God, in the Creation of the soul, as if a man were pouring poison in a vessel, so he did put sin into our natures, but he denieth to give and continue that Righteousness Adam had, and then our souls do necessarily receive the clean contrary, darkness for light, Atheism for faith, disorder for order: Even as if God should withdraw the Sun at noon-day, continue the light thereof no longer to us, it would upon that subduction be immediately dark, there needed no other cause to introduce it: Thus it is here upon Adam's fall, God denying to continue his Image, and original righteousness in us, original sin without any other positive cause cometh in the stead thereof; and therefore we are not, as Austin of old well observed, to seek after the causa efficiens, but deficiens peccati, sin hath no efficient, but deficient cause.