Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

7. Nor doth it take away that willingness or delight in sin, which ¹we are inevitably carried out unto: For now, if man were carried out to sin against his will and his delight, then there might be some show of pleading for him; but it is not so, he sinneth as willingly, and as electively in respect of his corrupt heart, as if there were no necessity brought upon him. Therefore that is good of Bernards, The necessity takes not away the willingness of it, nor the willingness of it the necessity. It's both an hand-maid, and so free, and, which is to be wondered, eoque magis ancilla, quò magis libera. Hence therefore no wicked or ungodly man can have any excuse for himself, to say the fates or necessity drove him: for, besides that by his fault he hath cast himself into this necessity, and so is, as if a man in debt, who was once able to pay, but by his wilful prodigal courses hath spent all, should think to be excused because he cannot pay. Besides (I say, this just and full answer) this also is to be said, that no man sins constrainedly, but every one is carried on with that delight to sin, as if he were independent upon any providence, or predefinitive permissive decrees of God, or any such corrupt necessity within him. Hereby ⟨p. 91⟩he pitieth not himself, he seeth not his undone estate, & nihil miserius misero non miserante scipsum. Hence it is, that a mans whole damnation is to be ascribed to himself. We ourselves have destroyed our own souls, we cannot cast it upon Gods decrees. And this is necessarily to be urged, because of that natural corruption in us with Adam, to cast our sin upon God.

7. Nor doth it take away that willingnesse or delight in sin, which ¹we are inevitably carried out unto: For now, if man were carried out to sin against his will and his delight, then there might be some shew of pleading for him; but it is not so, he sinneth as willingly, and as electively in respect of his corrupt heart, as if there were no necessity brought upon him. Therefore that is good of Bernards, The necessity takes not away the willingnesse of it, nor the willingnesse of it the necessity. It's both an hand-maid, and so free, and, which is to be wondered, eoque magis ancilla, quò magis libera. Hence therefore no wicked or ungodly man can have any excuse for himselfe, to say the fates or necessity drove him: for, besides that by his fault he hath cast himselfe into this necessity, and so is, as if a man in debt, who was once able to pay, but by his wilfull prodigall courses hath spent all, should think to be excused because he cannot pay. Besides (I say, this just and full answer) this also is to be said, that no man sins constrainedly, but every one is carried on with that delight to sin, as if he were independent upon any providence, or predefinitive permissive decrees of God, or any such corrupt necessity within him. Hereby