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

The second Rock upon which the erroneous party in this great Truth, destroyeth themselves at, is, The judging of man in his first Creation, according to that which we feel in our selves now, as if we should judge what wine is by the vinegar it's degenerated into, as if we should determine of a living body, according to what we see in a dead carcass; And truly we may say, that from hence ariseth all Pelagianism, Popery and Socinianism: We pass a sentence upon the state we were created in, by what we now feel in our selves, as if God had not, or could not make us otherwise: As for instance, because we now in our selves find the inferior appetitive part rebel in it's motions against the rational, therefore they conclude, That this was at first in Adams Creation; That this repugnancy is planted in our very constitution: Yea, a Remonstrant is not afraid to say, It was in Christ himself, because a man, (and why not then in the glorified Saints to all eternity, seeing they shall after the Resurrection consist of soul and body also?) In this Position both Socinian, Remonstrant and Papist do positively agree, viz. That the repugnancy and rebellion, which is between the rational and sensitive part doth arise from the very constitution of man. It ariseth (saith Bellarmine) not from God, but è conditione materiae, from the condition of that matter, of which God made him; but doth not this arise because we see such a repugnancy is now in every man, because there is none that can live now upon the earth without this rebellion? therefore we conclude it was not always so. If then we would sail by these Rocks, if we would be guided into this Divine Truth, let us go out of our selves, and out of all the traditions, which Ethical Philosophy hath delivered unto us, for that speaks only of what is acquired, not of any thing infused or concreated with our natures, but rather think this Image of God is so glorious a thing, that we know not how to speak of it, or to think of it, we never had the actual enjoyment, or working of it. It is not with us, as with men, who hold a rich and plentiful estate, but are now fallen into extreme poverty, such can tell you by experience, what a plentiful life they once lived.

The second Rock upon which the erroneous party in this great Truth, destroyeth themselves at, is, The judging of man in his first Creation, according to that which we feel in our selves now, as if we should judge what wine is by the vinegar it's degenerated into, as if we should determine of a living body, according to what we see in a dead carkass; And truly we may say, that from hence ariseth all Pelagianism, Popery and Socinianism: We passe a sentence upon the state we were created in, by what we now feel in our selves, as if God had not, or could not make us otherwise: As for instance, because we now in our selves find the inferiour appetitive part rebel in it's motions against the rational, therefore they conclude, That this was at first in Adams Creation; That this repugnancy is planted in our very constitution: Yea, a Remonstrant is not afraid to say, It was in Christ himself, because a man, (and why not then in the glorified Saints to all eternity, seeing they shall after the Resurrection consist of soul and body also?) In this Position both Socinian, Remonstrant and Papist do positively agree, viz. That the repugnancy and rebellion, which is between the rational and sensitive part doth arise from the very constitution of man. It ariseth (saith Bellarmine) not from God, but è conditione materiae, from the condition of that matter, of which God made him; but doth not this arise because we see such a repugnancy is now in every man, because there is none that can live now upon the earth without this rebellion? therefore we conclude it was not alwayes so. If then we would sail by these Rocks, if we would be guided into this Divine Truth, let us go out of our selves, and out of all the traditions, which Ethical Philosophy hath delivered unto us, for that speaks only of what is acquired, not of any thing infused or concreated with our natures, but rather think this Image of God is so glorious a thing, that we know not how to speak of it, or to think of it, we never had the actual enjoyment, or working of it. It is not with us, as with men, who hold a rich and plentifull estate, but are now fallen into extream poverty, such can tell you by experience, what a plentifull life they once lived.