The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

Secondly, That sin reigneth in such persons, Many have been the inquiries of Learned men about reigning of sin. As What sins may be said to reign,¹ and what not? Whether sins of ignorance may reign, as well as sins against knowledge? What little sins may be said to reign, as well as great? Whether frequent relapses into any sin, prove that sin to be reigning? Whether sin may reign in a Regenerate person? Or whether a Saint may fall into reigning sin, whereabout Divines of great note and name have differed; all upon a false bottom and supposal; The Scripture gives no ground for any such inquiries or disputes, or Cases of Conscience, as some men have raised hereupon: And indeed I would this were the only instance, of mens creating Cases of Conscience, and answering them, when indeed, and in truth, there are no such things; so ensnaring the Consciences of Men, and entangling more by their Cases, than they deliver by their Resolutions; The truth is, there is no mention of any reigning sin, or the Reigning of any sin in the whole Book of God, taking sin for this or that particular sin; But of the Reign of this Indwelling original Lust, or fountain of all sin there is frequent mention. Whilst that holds its power and universality in the soul, and is not restrained, nor straitened by the Indwelling spirit of grace, with a new vital principle of no less extent, and of more power than it, be the Actual sins few or more, known or unknown, little or great, all is one; sin reigns, and such a person is under the power and dominion of sin: so that in plain terms, to have sin reign, is to be unconverted: and to have sin not to reign is to be converted, to have received a new principle of Life from above; This is evident from the 5. and 6. Chapter of the Epist. to the Romans, the seat of this Doctrine of reigning sin; The opposition insisted on by the Apostle is between the Reign of Sin and Grace, and in pursuit thereof he manifests how true Believers are translated from the one to the other. To have sin reign is to be in a state of sin; to have Grace reign, is to be in a state of Grace. So Chapter 5. 21. %As sin reigned unto death, so Grace reigns through Righteousness unto eternal Life by Jesus Christ our Lord; The sin he speaks of is that whereof he treats in all that Chapter;

Secondly, That sinne reigneth in such persons, Many have been the inquiries of Learned men about reigning of sinne. As What sinnes may be said to reigne,¹