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

Certainly this confidence in what religious duties we perform (as some at the last day will plead, Have not we prophesied, and wrought miracles in thy Name?) doth insensibly and incurably damn the greatest part of formal Christians, and it is very hard to make them discern or judge themselves carnal in this, To trust in the arm of flesh, they will acknowledge quickly to be a sin, but to trust, and rest in the holy duties they have performed, out of this sin no sons of Boanerges can awaken them.

Certainly this confidence in what religious duties we perform (as some at the last day will plead, Have not we prophesied, and wrought miracles in thy Name?) doth insensibly and incurably damn the greatest part of formal Christians, and it is very hard to make them discern or judge themselves carnal in this, To trust in the arm of flesh, they will acknowledge quickly to be a sinne, but to trust, and rest in the holy duties they have performed, out of this sinne no sonnes of Boanerges can awaken them.

Fourthly, A man is naturally carnal in all his religious performances, Because when he d•h them, it is not out of any love to God, to exalt and honour him, but out of love to himself, thinking thereby to avei• some judgement or other. It is true, we deny not but it's lawful to serve God, to be humbled for sin with respect to our own good, that we may escape temporal evil, but yet we are not to do it principally and chiefly for this, we are not to uti Deo, and frui Creaturis, to enjoy the creatures for themselves, as the utmost end, and make use of God only for our outward help, as John 6. 26. our Saviour told the multitude that followed him, That they did seek him only because they did eat of the loaves and were filled: This is a fundamental principle of flesh in every man by nature not to love himself subordinately to God, but God subordinately to himself, which is a sin of a very high nature, and immediately opposing the great majesty of God; They worship God upon no other reason, then what some Heathens did sacrifice to the Devils, Tantùm ne noceant, That they might do them no hurt: I […] not then out of any love to God, or desire to magnify him, but wholly for their own ends; and hence it is, that they alter, and change the worship and ways of God, as they please, and as it serveth for any political interest,