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

1. Marriage even among Heathens, is true lawful marriage, and their children are legitimate; for although their very marriage, as all things else are unclean to them in a sanctified sense, because they are impure, yet marriage in it self is a lawful thing to them, so that it is not to be judged fornication. And

1. Marriage even among Heathens, is true lawfull marriage, and their children are legitimate; for although their very marriage, as all things else are unclean to them in a sanctified sense, because they are impure, yet marriage in it self is a lawfull thing to them, so that it is not to be judged fornication. And

2. The Apostles argument would not conclude, for those that doubted, whether their marriage was lawful, would also have doubted, whether their children were legitimate, and therefore this could not be an argument to prove their marriage lawful.

2. The Apostles argument would not conclude, for those that doubted, whether their marriage was lawful, would also have doubted, whether their children were legitimate, and therefore this could not be an argument to prove their marriage lawfull.

In the second place, There are some who understand this holiness of inward true inherent purity; so that their judgement is, that the Apostle saith, all godly parents have holy children, and if it fall out otherwise in some cases, they say, it's an indefinite, not an universal proposition, which if it be true, for the most part, it is enough; but experience seemeth to confute this; Neither is believer here taken strictly, for one who did in a saving way believe, but largely for one that did profess faith in Christ, and therefore is opposite to an Infidel; Now all that were not Infidels, were not presently, truly godly, though they did believe, as some are said,