§. 25. The second sort of special corruptions are the sins of a mans nature, or of his natural constitution, such as he is naturally more addicted and inclined unto than unto other. For as it is with the body, so is it also with the soul. As in every mans body there is a general mixture of all the four humours, Blood, Fleame, and the two Cholers, in some degree more or less, but there is some one of them predominant, in regard whereof a man is said to be of a Sanguine, a Flegmatike, a Melancholic, or a Choleric Constitution: or as in grounds untoiled and untilled there grow evil weeds of all sorts, but there is some one commonly that over-toppeth the residue, and groweth rifer and ranker usually than the rest: So in the soul of man (since the fall of our first Parentsp a general seed-plot of evil) there are spiritual weeds of all sorts, a mixture of all vice, the seed and spawn of all sin,q Atheism it self not excepted: but there isr some one pestilent Humour or other lightly more predominant than the rest, some one main and master vice, that giveth a denomination, in regard whereof men are said to be, some ambitious, some covetous, some superstitious, some lascivious, and the like: not as if such persons had no other vice, but that that they are so named by: for it is most true that the Heathen man saith,s He that hath any one vice, hath all other with it; but,t because that beareth the sway, though the other be all there too in a lower, and a less eminent degree. This is that which David seemeth to have aimed at when he saith;u I was upright also with him, and kept my self from mine own sin. xEvery David (saith one well) hath his Bathsheba, and every Bathsheba her David. David had no doubt his sin,y his beloved, his dear, his darling sin, that which naturally he delighted in and was addicted unto. And so hath every man ordinarily some one corruption or other, that is the delight of his heart and the joy of his eyes, that he is naturally most wedded unto, most carried away with. Nowz this main sin, this master sin is it that we must principally bend our Watch against; asa the King of Aram bade his soldiers fight neither against more nor less, but against the King of Israel. For asb when he was once slain, the whole Host was soon vanquished:
§. 25. The second sort of speciall corruptions are the sinnes of a mans nature, or of his naturall constitution, such as hee is naturally more addicted and inclined unto than unto other. For as it is with the bodie, so is it also with the soule. As in every mans body there is a generall mixture of all the foure humours, Bloud, Fleame, and the two Cholers, in some degree more or lesse, but there is some one of them predominant, in regard whereof a man is said to be of a Sanguine, a Flegmatike, a Melancholike, or a Cholerike Constitution: or as in grounds untoiled and untilled there grow evill weeds of all sorts, but there is some one commonly that over-toppeth the residue, and groweth rifer and rancker usually than the rest: So in the soule of man (since the fall of our first Parentsp a generall seed-plot of evill) there are spirituall weeds of all sorts, a mixture of all vice, the seed and spawne of all sin,q Atheisme it selfe not excepted: but there isr some one pestilent Humour or other lightly more predominant than the rest, some one maine and master vice, that giveth a denomination, in regard whereof men are said to be, some ambitious, some covetous, some superstitious, some lascivious, and the like: not as if such persons had no other vice, but that that they are so named by: for it is most true that the Heathen man saith,s He that hath any one vice, hath all other with it; but,t because that beareth the sway, though the other be all there too in a lower, and a lesse eminent degree. This is that which David seemeth to have aimed at when hee saith;u I was upright also with him, and kept my selfe from mine owne sin. xEvery David (saith one well) hath his Bathsheba, and every Bathsheba her David. David had no doubt his sinne,y his beloved, his deare, his darling sinne, that which naturally hee delighted in and was addicted unto. And so hath every man ordinarily some one corruption or other, that is the delight of his heart and the joy of his eyes, that hee is naturally most wedded unto, most caried away with. Now
- p[Greek or Hebrew]. Empedoclis vocabulum apud Aristot. de gener. animal. l. 4. c. 3.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Empedoclis vocabulum apud Aristot. de gener. animal. l. 4. c. 3.
- qEphes. 2.12. [Greek or Hebrew]. Et cupidiomnes, & maligni omnes, & timidi omnes, & ambitiosi; adjice & impii omnes. Sea. de benef. l. 5. c. 17.Ephes. 2.12. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Et cupidiomnes, & maligni omnes, & timidi omnes, & ambitiosi; adjice & impii omnes. Sea. de benef. l. 5. c. 17.
- rNullum mihi morbi genus ignotum est: uni tamen morb• quasi assignatus sum. Sen. epist. 55.
- sQui habet unum vitium, habet omnia. Sen. de benef l. 5. c 15. Malus quisque nullo vitio vacat. Ibid. l. 4. c. 27.
- tStultus omnia vitia habet; sed non in omnia natura pronus est. Senec. de benef lib. 4. cap. 27. Omnia in omnibus vitia sunt; sed non omnia in singulis extant. Ibid. c. 26. Omnia omnibus insunt; sed in quibusdam singula eminent. Ibid. c. 27.
- uPsal. 18.23.
- xEastie in Ps. 51.
- yDilecta d•licta.
- zAlia in alus vitia principatum obtinent, tyrannidem exercent: ideoque oportet unumq•emque nostrum secundum qualitatem belli quo principaliter infestatur, pugnam arripere: utque vitia in nobis principatum tenent, ita impugnationis modus exig tur, &c. Ber. de ord. vitae. Et Cass. •ollat. 6 c. 27.
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