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

Fourthly, We are deeply to humble our selves for this birth contagion, Because in it self it is a most grievous and heinous sin. It's a dispute, Whether original sin be not gravissimum peccatum, the heaviest and greatest sin that is; It is true indeed, many sins may exceed this in several respects, but yet if we lay all things together, we have cause to judge it the heaviest sin that is; For although Bellarmine minceth the matter, and saith, it is minimum, peccatum, the least sin in this respect (though he acknowledge it very heinous otherwayes) because it hath minimum de voluntario, yet we must not judge of the greatness of a sin by a Philosophical notion, but according to the judgement of God, who best knoweth the heinous nature and guilt of sin; now by Gods punishing of it in such a manner, it appeareth to be the greatest sin, the event doth demonstrate it; In that we read not of any sin punished by God in such an high degree, as original sin was in Adam our first parent, in whose loins we are; For whereas all other sins bring only the temporal and spiritual curse upon the offender himself, this doth upon all mankind: Indeed God doth visit sometimes the sins of Parents to the third and fourth generation, but here it is as long as there shall be a generation: And besides, it's not only temporal evils we suffer for Adam's sin, in which respect many may suffer for other mens sins, as in Achan and David's case, but it is in spiritual destruction likewise, all mankind is obnoxious to eternal damnation for this transgression: That therefore must needs be an horrid sin, and of a crimson nature, for which we see God to be so severe, yea not only mankind, but all the creatures likewise are cursed for this; so that had not God provided a new Covenant of grace for some of mankind thus fallen, the whole race of men, would have been eternally damned, and that for this sin alone, though there had not been one actual sin committed in the world by any one man since the fall: Oh then tremble under this consideration, because the anger of God is thus stirred up against that one sin, more than all the sins that are committed!

Fourthly, We are deeply to humble our selves for this birth contagion, Because in it self it is a most grievous and hainous sinne. It's a dispute, Whether original sinne be not gravissimum peccatum, the heaviest and greatest sinne that is; It is true indeed, many sins may exceed this in several respects, but yet if we lay all things together, we have cause to judge it the heaviest sinne that is; For although Bellarmine minceth the matter, and saith, it is minimum, peccatum, the least sinne in this respect (though he acknowledge it very hainous otherwayes) because it hath minimum de voluntario, yet we must not judge of the greatness of a sinne by a Philosophical notion, but according to the judgement of God, who best knoweth the hainous nature and guilt of sinne; now by Gods punishing of it in such a manner, it appeareth to be the greatest sin, the event doth demonstrate it; In that we read not of any sinne punished by God in such an high degree, as original sinne was in Adam our first parent, in whose loms we are; For whereas all other sinnes bring only the temporal and spiritual curse upon the offender himself, this doth upon all mankind: Indeed God doth visit sometimes the sins of Parents to the third and fourth generation, but here it is as long as there shall be a generation: And besides, it's not onely temporal evils we suffer for Adam's sinne, in which respect many may suffer for other mens sinnes, as in Achan and David's case, but it is in spiritual destruction likewise, all mankind is obnoxious to eternal damnation for this transgression: That therefore must needs be an horrid sinne, and of a crimson nature, for which we see God to be so sevre, yea not only mankind, but all the creatures likewise are cursed for this; so that had not God provided a new Covenant of grace for some of mankind thus fallen, the whole race of men, would have been eternally damned, and that for this sinne alone, though there had not been one actual sinne committeed in the world by any one man since the fall: Oh then tremble under this consideration, because the anger of God is thus stirred up against that one sin, morethan all the sins that are committed!