mistaking that place Mat. 3.11 but that was fulfilled Acts 2.3 when cloven tongues of fire fell upon the Apostles Niceph. lib. 3. hist eap 3.4 tells us of one that was baptized with sand but when it was known to the Church he was further baptized The former was not sufficient because it had not Christs prescription for his was the Element of Water who as it is the most common liquor to wash filthinesse from the body so it most fitly resembles Christs bloud to wash away all manner of filthinesse from the soule Ezek. 16.6 God saw the people of Israel in their blood and in their filthinesse in that corrupt state of nature that every man is born in but verse 9. Out of His meere mercy He washed her with Water and annointed her with Oyl that was the graces of his holy Spirit So here a man must be born again of Water and the Spirit As for the circumstances of Baptisme they are not so much materiall whether the whole body be dipped in water or it be sprinkled upon the Party In the Primitive Times and especially in those hot countries the whole body was put in water as now it s buried under the ground hence Rom. 6.4 they were said to have been buried with Christ in their Baptisme unto his death and the taking of them up again which presented our resurrection concerning which you may reade more at large in the Counsels of Laodicea and Neocesaria But we must know that many of ripe yeeres were then baptized that were able to indure it and for Infants the Country was hotter but now where Infants onely are baptized and such as are in cold Countries diving their whole bodies into the waters were enough to bury them indeed oâ— cause them to dye not onely to baptize them Againe in those times some dipped them thrice into the vvaters some but once of those that dipped them thrice some would signifie Christs three dayes lying in the grave as Tertull and Cypr. others the Trinity in whose name they were baptized those that dipped but once would signifie the unity in Trinity but wee stand not upon these And even as a man can but be once born naturally no more can he but bee once born spirituall which in the Text is called being borne again grosse therefore is the opinion and practice of the Anabaptists who re-baptize their prosylited into their errour St. Cypr. fell about rebaptizing of Heretiques against whom Cornelius did justly oppose himselfe c. In this Baptisme the Papist say that originall sinne is so taken away that after it it s but an occasion of sinne but we say with St. Aug. whom all orthodox Divines in this point have followed tollitur reatu remanet actu though the guilt of it betaken away in elect Infants yet it remaines a sinne as a Serpent remains a Serpent when his sting is gone yet cannot kill and it s kept under and diminished in the faithfull by degrees Epiphanius compares it to a Tree growing in the Walls of some stately building which may bee lopped and kept under but the root vvill never be pulled out untill the Wall be pulled down no more will originall sinne untill the body and soule bee pulled asunder by death Originall sinne remains a sinne in the Elect and regenerate after Baptisme Yet secondly the guilt of that sinne is taken away in elect Infants And ordinarily in baptisme where it is compleat If I had not bin occasioned to the handling of these two points I should not have fallen so fully upon them but the most vvise God hath his providence in every thing I shall point a little at Originall sinne and then come home to the point And in it we vvill first consider the quod sit that it is and secondly the quale sit what it is for the former briefly Ephes 2.3 natura filii irae and vvere by nature the children of vvrath that is by reason of our corrupt nature infected vvith originall sinne and Rom. 7.23 There was a Law in Pauls members rebelling against the Law of his mind c. by vvhich Lavv of his members is meant vitiositas naturae the corruption of his nature which did inhaerere stick in them and as a Law irritated him to what was evill 2. The quale what such it is It s a defect of Originall justice with an aptitude to all manner of evill haereditarily come upon us by vertue of Adams guilt The Schoole Divines make two branches of it and in it consider the materiale and the formale the muteriale they conceive to be concupiscence the formale the defect of originall Justice or privation of it thus Aquinas and his followers who were both many acute and learned though other wise carried â—â—ay with the errours of their times In his pr. sec qu 82. art 3. in corporit calce thus in particular Cajetan Alexander Alensis Durandus this infected the whole man both in all the faculties of the soule or organs of the body as instruments to vent execute that inward corruption and this is the Doctrine of all our Orthodox Divines And Aquinas herein said well in his pr. sec qu 82. art 2. ad jum in peccato originali virtualiter praeexistant omnia peccata actualia sicut in quodam principio In originall sinne all our actuall sins do praeexist as in a certain common root or principle but I would be briefe in every passage And seeing that this is an haereditary disease or inhaerent corruption in our nature not the substantiall nature it selfe first hence Illyricus was much to blame who in his book de essentia justitiae and injustitiae originalis atque etiam in tractatu quodam adjuncto disputationi quam habuit cum Victorino Strigetio vivariae held that originall sinne was a substance a daemone factam made by the Devil which was viva essentialis ejus imago his living and essentiall Image not much unlike that of the Maniches asserted by Augustine Tom 7. lib. 6. contra Julianum cap. 1. Aug. in quod vult Deum haeres 88. who held that it was extranea mali naturanostrae naturae admixta 2. Hence the Pelagians are condemned who denied originall sinne in Infants contrary to Rom. 5.12 3. The Anabaptists Armenians and Albaneuses as Castrensis hath it lib. 12. haeres And now I come to the point that it remains in the regenerate as a sinne even after baptisme Amesius Tom. 4. lib. 2. Bell. enervati cap. 3. affirmes it to be sinne in such properly And in the Argument of that booke in the name of the reformed Churches 2. Mr. Rogers on the Articles of Religion condcluded for the Church of England whose propositions thence deduced were printed by authority Anno 1585. and 87. upon the 9. Art concerning originall sinne Proposition 3. Originall sinne remains in Gods children 3. Perkins in the order of causes page 98. It s the root of all actuall sinne and therefore even after baptisme saith he it
body by the Spirit we shall live thus againe Gal. 5.17 the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the Flesh these are contrary one to another that is the unregeneracie that is in man strives against the regeneracy that is in him and these are so contrary one to another even as fire and water that ye cannot do what ye would St. Paul found this by experience you have heard that hee perceived a Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind and when he would haved one good yet evill was present with him Rom. 7.21 and Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my Flesh in me by nature in me in as much as such unregenerate there dwells no good thing In quantum renati for as much or in as much as we are regenerate so farre forth we both will and do that which is good but the defect in either is from the imperfection of regeneracie or that unregenerate part that is in us throughout the whole man in the understanding will and affections and in all parts of our bodies and that which is born of the flesh in this sense is flesh also for we must know that our children are ours naturali propagatione not spirituali regeneratione by naturall propagation not by spirituall regeneration wee beget them as we are naturall not as we are spirituall we can convey unto them all that Adam by guilt and generation conveighed unto us but what spirituall grace God conveighed unto Adam that was not in his power to convey unto us it was Gods free gift to his person not intayled upon his posterity and lineally to descend upon them as was his nature no more is grace then to any of us or to the most holy men in the world they can but convey what they have by nature grace is Gods free guift not any essentiall part of mans nature and that is the reason why many good men have oftentimes had bad children as Abraham had an Ismael Isaac an Esau David an Absolam c. because they were there by nature not by grace And before God bestowed grace upon their fathers they were wicked and walked and swayed by sinne as well as others and as they though it may be in a more remisse manner St. Aug. observes of the Jewes that though they were themselves circumcised yet they begot children uncircumcised because themselves were such by nature even as the corn which if you winnow it never so clean in fanning away the chaffe yet if you sow it it will grow with chasse on again as much as ever it had before because it was naturally so it was but by art even thus conceive of the Text that whether a man be in the flesh as to tally unregenerate uncircumcised unfanned or of regeneration yet that part of unregeneracie was naturall to him and according to that estate he begets his children even as the circumcised Jewes begot uncircumcifed children as well as did the uncircumcised amongst the Gentiles because uncircumcision was in both naturall even so regenerate men beget unregenerate children as well as unregenerate men do because unregeneracie whether in part or in whole is naturall in both and may bee called flesh in both and in either of these accoptions flesâ— quod natum est ex carne caro est that which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh and thus by this time I hope you may perceive that the vaile is taken from the sence of the Text. Whence we may observe that our Parents which begot us can convey no spirituall abilities for regeneration conversion or salvation of us unto us that we have heard is beyond the power of nature and by increasing and multiplying they can conveigh no more to us but that for if they could we should stand in lesse need to be born againe in which second birth we have our abilities from God Phil. 2.13 It s God that works in you both the will and the deed of his good pleasure your Parents can neither give you wills nor good works for the power of these come ab extra from without above the compasse of nature 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God the naturall man that is he that hath no more abilities then meer nature can afford him such as he drew from the loynes of his Father for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned as if he should have said a more naturall man wants the meanes and the light of knowing of them nature can afford him no such thing Eph. 2.3 we are by nature saith Paul the children of wrath as well as others thus we have the Doctrine illustrated This may first teach us that as wee must have a second birth as well as a first as we have heard that for this second birth we must rely upon the Lord for ability we must look higher than our Parents not they nor the Angels of God nor any creature can be the Author of the grace of regeneration or conversion onely God must do that Acts 11.14 though Peter by his preaching was an instrument of conversion to those Gentiles that heard him He shall speak words unto thee whereby both you and all thy house shall be saved yet God was the Author of that grace they then received v. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life And Lam. 5.21 Turne us unto thee and we shall bee turned 2 Tim. 2.25 proving if God at any time will give repentance that they may know the truth 2. If whatsoever be born of the flesh be flesh this may let us see what free will we have to any spirituall good by nature or what grace to salvation by nature from it we can receive nothing but nature Mat. 7.19 do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of Thistles No we know that Thorns naturally bring out no such things as Grapes nor Thistles Figs even no more can we looke that corrupt nature should bring forth spirituals no but like its selfe flesh quod natum est excarne caro est that which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh It followes and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit In the former verse the words runne thus except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit In these no mention made of Water or being born of Water because that without the concomitance of this the other cannot do it but whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit because the efficiencie of the birth proceeds from that though Water be the outward visible signe which it pleased God to use in working you have heard that a man may be born again of the Spirit and yet want water but none can bee borne again of Water onely if the Spirit be wanting therefore the birth of the Spirit is here mentioned that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit The Spirit in Scripture is sometimes put for the soule of a man but here the Spirit is not opposed to the Flesh or body as Heb. 12.9 where mention is made of the Father of our bodies and how we gave them reverence much more should wee bee subject to the Father of Spirits Prov. 18.19 a wounded Spirit who can beare and Eccles 3.21 Who knowes the Spirit of a man that goeth upward but that cannot be meant here 2. The Spirit is sometimes taken for the Divell the evill Spirit Mark 9.26 then the Spirit cryed and rent him sore but neither can that be meant here 3. That Spirit is put for the holy and sanctifying Spirit of God and that is meant in this place as may appeare by the vers going before except a man be born again of Water and the Spirit and Ephes 5.18 be not drunke with Wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit the Spirit of God where it is in any speciall operation is accompanied with the graces of it which are also called the Spirit and where the graces of God are the essence of the Spirit is there also to cherish and inrich those graces as Gal. 3.2 received yee the Spirit by the works of the Law c. and whosoever is born of the Spirit is said to be born of God as you have heard 1 John 5.1 that is he is regenerate and born againe by the vertue and power of the Spirit upon his heart minde and soule and so far forth as he is regenerate pure gratious and spiritually good so farre forth is be born of the Spirit for 〈◊〉 â—â—at good Spirit there can be no bad effects but whatsoever is born of it is of a spirituall and holy nature that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit see what the Lord saith Ezek. 36.25 26. speaking of the return of his people out of Captivity and out of the Countries into which he had scattered them then saith he will I power clean Water upon you and yee shall be cleane yea from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you this cleane Water is expounded in the next words after a new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will give you an heart of Flesh that is I will take away your hard and unregenerate heart from you that nothing could work on and I will give you ◠〈◊〉 eart softened with the oyle of the graces of my Spirit and by the 〈…〉 wash away your filthinesse Luke 11.3 If ye which are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heaâ—â—â—ly Father give the Holy Ghost unto them that desire him And so make you truly spirituall being born of this Spirit Quod natum est ex spirituâ—… spiritus est that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit FINIS
must properly be a sinne in the 9. Art before quoted it selfe this infection of nature doth remain even in them that are regenerate plainly avouched by the publique Doctrine of our Church grounded on Scripture which testimony ought to go beyond any particulars And 5. how often doth Paul manifest as much in himself Rom. 7. calling it non bonum malum odio habendum crucifigendum mortificandum repugnans legi divinae destruendum miserum reddeus cui in est ver 14. Hee said hee was carnall sold under sinne and v. 20.21 Sinne yet dwells in me and evill that was still present to hinder good 6. Piscator in locum Obs 8. this saith he is corruptio naturae the corruption of our nature atque etiam Synec dochice peecatum originis originall sinne And Obs ultima a quo renati perpetuo vexantur of which the regenerate are continually troubled See also v. 24. it s a body of death which he would gladly have been delivered from it was out of measure sinfull v. 13.2 Cor. 12.7 He had a thorn in the flesh a Messenger of Sathan to buffet him which though hee praid against often yet God wold not remove it from him but told him his grace was sufficient for him Jam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawne aside of his own lust and enticed and Jam. 4.1 Whence are wars and contentions are they not from lusts that fight in your members which place the Geneva note collates with the Law in our Members Rom. 7.23 and so Piscator in locum 7. how plentifull is St. Augustine in this point lib. 1. contraduas Epist Pelag cap. 1. as also in his Booke against Julian and the like what man of any reading in him knows not lib. 1. de nuptiis concupiscentiis ad velerium cap. 25. answering the qu quomodo concupiscentia carnis maneat in regenerato in quo universorum facta est remissio peccatorum c. ad haec respondetur dimitti concupiscentiam carnis in baptismo non ut non sit sed ut in peccatum non imputetur Original sin remains after baptisme in the regenerate but is not imputed to condemnation So that though there be aliquid damnabile in renatis natura sua yet not damnandum because non imputandum And quamvis reatu suo jam soluto manet tamen donec sanctur omnis infirmitas nostra although the guilt of originall sinne bee taken away in the regenerate yet it still remains sinne till we be cured of all sinne by death and lib. 1. ad valerium cap. 26. illius concupiscentiae quando remittitur reatus aufertur when the guilt is remitted it is so taken away that it cannot hurt or condemne us and on the contrary actuall sinne though this be transient yet so long as the guilt of them remaines untaken away in the regenerate they are damnable therfore saith he actuall sins although praeterierunt actu yet manent reatu in the wicked but originall sinne maneat actu praetereat reatu in the regenerate The act of sinne may passe away and the guilt remains in the unregenerate but on the contrary the guilt of originall sinne is taken away in the regenerate and yet it remains a sinne And cap. 30.31 he followes those passages at large mentioned Rom. 7. Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit c. and these are contrary now except it remained a sin though daily weakned by the power of the Spirit there should be no combate And lib. 5. contra Julianum cap. 3. concupiscentia carnis adversus quam bonus concupiscit Spiritus peccatum est causa peccati paena peccati concupiscence of the flesh against which the Spirit of God doth fight is both sinne the cause of it and punishment of it sinne because it rebels against the Law of the Mind Punishment because it was put upon the disobedience as its reward and desert Cause of all actuall as we have heard for omnia nostra peccata immediate proveuiunt a corrupta nostra natura ac a diabolo ipsa medianti Polan lib. 6.3 achoriston inseparabile nisi morte all our actuall sinnes do arise immediately from our corrupt nature and upon that the Devill works us to wickednesse I might adde many more testimonies both out of St. Aug. the Scriptures and the learned of the reformed Churches than out of all these I have done but these make the point plain enough To these I added the publique doctrine of our Church to which I adde the confessious of other Churches as that of Basil art 2. of the Reformed in France which is the same with that of Geneva art 11. of Saxony art 10. of Helvetia art 1. cap. 8. to which adde Aquin. himselfe pr. sec qu. 81. art 3. ad jum So that I hope it s no blasphemy to affirm that Originall sinne remains a sinne even in the regenerate after Baptisme the guilt of it having been taken away But now to affirme the contrary that it remaines no sinne after Baptisme but that both the guilt and stain is taken away in it is downright Popery For so Councell of Trent sect 5. the Pontificians do hold as Bellarm greg de valentia lib. de peccato originali cap. 8. Estius in lib. 2. sent dist 32. sect 3. lit C. and so the rest holding it a defect or weaknesse or a fitting the heart or disposing it to sinne as tinder that is no fire but disposed soone to receive it without much opposition and is not causa peccati nisi obediatur but I answer that nothing can be the cause of sinne per modum habitus interni by way of an internall habit and not bee a sinne it selfe for as an internall cause inclining to good is good so by the like reason an internall inclining to evill is evill Again all unrighteousnesse is sinne such is it Againe primi motus sunt illiciti it differs from the rule of the Law therefore sinne and these are ejusdem rationis cum peccato originali of the same nature with originall sinne But they say Rom. 8.1 there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ so say we yet there is some what worthy of condemnation in them if God should impute it but the guilt being taken away it is pardoned Ob. 2. Deum nunquam remittere reatum manente peccato God will never remit the guilt and yet the sinne remain saith Bell. Amesius answers and I am sure hee was no Papist Deus quando remittit non judicat peccatum non esse sed ex gratia judicat non esse vindecta pro se quendum when God remits the guilt of originall sinne hee doth not judge it to be no sinne but of his grace and favour hee so remits it that it shall never be persecuted by divine vengeance Ob. 3. It s no more I but sinne that dwells in me that is peccatum naturae the sinne of nature non personae not of the person In the first
covenant with Noe of not drowning the world again by Water and his signe for this was his bow in the Clouds Gen. 9.12 13. This is the token of the Covenant which I make between me and you c. I have set my bow in the Clouds and it shall be a signe betweene me and the earth Secondly with Abraham and his Seed and promised Christ Gen. 17.10 And that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed as you have heard and then he instituted the signe of circumcision 3. And lastly he renews the covenant in Christ to all believers and of this covenant Baptisme was the more perfect than the former Sixthly observe that he joynes two things in the Sacrament together that are valde dissimili greatly dislike Water and the Spirit the former corporall the latter spirituall the former visible and the latter invisible and herein answers to the two essentiall parts of man his body and his soule where of the former is visible the latter invisible the Water visible the Spirit invisible the Water washeth the body the Spirit works upon the soule and minde John 3.8 the manner of our regeneration is compared to the blowing of the winde The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou canst not tell whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is borne of God Now in the winde two things are observeable 1. we feel it blowing but 2. we cannot see the wind that bloweth for though it be a body yet naturall Philosophy teacheth us that it is corpus tam tenue so subtle a body that we cannot see it even so it is here we feel the sweet working of the Spirit but we cannot see that spirit that worketh The Papists that hold the Sacraments Phyficall Instruments as you have heard they say that the body is no lesse sanctified by the Water than the soule by the Spirit and they instance thus quemadmodum aqua viribus ignis intensius calefacta non aliter quam ignis vrit c. Even as Water made very hot by the fire doth no lesse burn then the fireits selfe so the Water in baptisme by the operation of the Spirit of God adjoyned to it doth cleanse the body of him that is baptized as the Spirit its selfe but as some of the sounder Schoole Divines have well considered Water being but Creatura insensibilis an insensible creature it s not capable to be the subject of any inhaerent grace as one body or element is capable of the heating by another 2. You have heard that Spiritus is not alwayes necessario sihi adjunctus the Spirit is not alwayes and of necessity joyned to it 3. And lastly the corporall substance of water cannot immediately touch or work upon the soule But even as the meat is first digested inwardly in the stomack and then by secret passage the spirit and vigour of it is conveyed to the outward parts of the body even so grace first infused into the heart and mind of a man spread it selfe into all the faculties of the soule and then into all the parts of the body so that the whole man is infected So grace when God doth infuse it spreads it selfe as farre thus in this sense in regard of parts where sin hath abounded there grace also may abound And in what sense God may be said to have sanctified us by the water of baptisme you have heard heretofore But you will say what need Christ water in baptisme as any outward signe to sanctifie us by cannot he sanctifie us by his Spirit without this I answer what needed our Saviour clay or spittle or washing in Siloam to have opened the blinde mans eyes could he not have done it onely by a word and it should have served Or why did God create man of the dust of the earth could hee not have created him of nothing I answer yes but he was not pleased so to doe but would use meanes to teach us not to despise the use of meanes but to waite upon God in the use of them when he appoints them Rom. 9.20 O man who art thou that disputeth with God shall thou teach him how he shall work his work or by what meanes Gen. 1. the latter part of the second ver it s said That the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters even so doth it upon these waters to sanctifie us by them as by an outward signe giving us by that which we see that which we see not in what sense you have heard before This water in Baptisme is thought to have been typified per aquam expiationis by the sprinkling water mentioned Numb 19.9 But ver 2. this water must have the ashes of a red Cow mingled that which was without blemish to note out that this water must have the red blood of Christ without sinne to goe with it As also by the Waters issuing out of the Sanctuary as some will have it Ezek. 47. from v. 1. forward c. as also by the Waters of the flood Gen. 7.7 and this is plain by St. Peter 1 Pet. 3.21 Seventhly he saith not nisi quis baptizatus fuerit sednisi quis natus fuerit ne quis de solo externo baptismo gloriaretur he saith not except a man be baptized but except a man be borne againe least any man should glory onely of his outward baptisme for outward baptisme with water you have heard will not serve without inward baptisme with the spirit by which the old man is put off and the new man put on or otherwise as many come through the red Sea that afterwards perished in the Wildernesse and never saw the Land of Promise so many may passe though the Water of Baptisme that afterwards perish in aeternall misery and never see the spirituall Canaan no more then they did the temporall Eightly As in naturall generation there is a concurrence of father and mother even so in this spirituall generation the Church as the mother she affords water and God as our Father he gives his Spirit and so a man comes to be born a child of Light 9. And lastly seeing that a man can but be once borne naturally no more can he spiritually as you have heard therefore Donatus of old and the Anabaptists of these latter times have been much to blame to baptize men over again seeing that their former baptisme was by lawfull Ministers and according to Christs prescription both for matter and forme Donatus upon conceipt that the Ministers were faulty in their lives that baptized them as though the efficacy of the Sacrament did depend upon the bounty of the Instrument and not upon GOD. Many that have been baptized by faulty Ministers prove good men and on the contrary many that have beene baptized by good Ministers prove bad men But before I passe this point I cannot but give you one collection from some of the Papists out of this Text. You know they
see how a truth may lye in a Text which carnall eyes cannot discover though otherwise learned But this will not hold that because they before Christ could not ergo not wee 2. That carnall eyes could not ergo not those that are illuminated by Gods holy Spirit and being the righteous to whom he reveales his secrets these could never be so far over-sighted but if the light came from the Scripture they would see it as well as others yet the most excellent of them cannot finde this new pretended light justified there so much for that point I now come to the last That which is borne of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Our Saviour having showne Nicedemus the necessity of regeneration stayed not as you have heard to see whether hee would aske a reason of it or no but willingly renders one as also the manner of it of Water and the Spirit without which you have heard he could not enter Now if our Saviour had not said thus man might have imagined that he might have gone to Heaven by his owne Wisdome or civill righteousnesse or humane strength or depth of Learning or the like nay alas whatsoever is in a man naturally or from mans naturall strength will not do it for so he is but flesh Quod natum est excarne caro est That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh These words are dark we must therefore draw the vaile of them and then we shall the more cleerely conceive of them the Flesh in Scriptures is taken in severall senses it vvill be our labour therefore to finde out the true sense of it in this place First the Flesh in Scriptures is sometimes put for this present Life 1 Peter 4.2 the Apostle would have men for the space of their lives yet unspent for as much time as remained in the Flesh not to live after the lusts of men but after the will of God and 1 Phil. 1.24 It s better for you saith the Apostle that I abide in the Flesh that is in this present life Secondly we are sometimes to understand the body of Flesh the one essentiall part of man Levit. 19.28 Yee shall not cut your flesh for the dead nor make any print of a marke upon you either by burning lashing or flashing as the Gentiles did I have not thus taught you to hate your flesh neither can this any way benefit the dead Thirdly by the flesh we are somtimes to understand the humane nature of CHRIST 1 Peter 3.18 He was put to death concerning the Flesh that is in his humane nature for in his divine nature he could not suffer that supported his humane nature in his suffering Fourthly for the unregenerate estate of a man when he is in his corrupt nature which he drew from Adam and in many actuall sinnes drawne from that unhappy roote thus Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man because he is but Flesh that is a corrupt and sinfull creature naturally devoid of grace and that which is born of this flesh is flesh like unto it for Job 14.4 who can bring a clean thing out of filthinesse there is not one but of sinfull nature is born sinfull nature Gen. 5.3 It s said that Adam lived one hundred and thirty yeere and begot a sonne in his owne likenesse after his owne Image and called his name Sheth that is he was like him in Sex 2. Humano specie in humane shape in all the members of the body 3. And lastly after his Image in the corruption of nature for he had corrupted and defaced that Image of GOD after which he was created which was in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4.24 for the most principall part of Gods Image did consist in these and so did not beget a sonne in that Iniage in which GOD created him but in his likenesse and after his Image such a one as by sinning he had made himselfe here was ex earne caro flesh of flesh quod natum est ex earne card est that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh thus againe Rom. 8.5 they that are after the Flesh doe savour the things of the Blesh that is those that are as yet in their unregenerate estate they affect those courses the most that suite the best with the corruptions of nature they are in love with them and doe the most delight in them and cannot endure to be crossed in them yet verse 6. The wisdome of the flesh is death not onely temporally for so all dye but eternally yet how doe men beare themselves by their carnall wisdome yea so much that it teacheth them how to sleight the wisdome of God revealed in his holy Word and will and will be subject no further to it then where it erosseth not theirs but see the misery of their wisdome verse 7. This wisdome is enmity against GOD it is not subject to the Law of God true say some that is de facto but it may be if it will nay the next words marre that neither indeed can be and verse 8. they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD that is they that are in an unregenerate estate in the pleasure of these sinnes and have not had the guilt of repentance from God they cannot in this estate please God all they doe in point of Religion are but splendida peccata as St. Augustine termes them guilded sinnes or sinnes per accidens sinnes in that respect that the person is not justified or sanctified that doth them their cause therefore is lamentable the wrath of God abides upon them for sinne though they will not be sensible of it 5. And lastly to stand upon no more acceptions the flesh is sometimes taken for the unregenerate part of a regenerate man for wee are but regenerate in part either in faculty of soule or instruments of body we are not perfectly and wholly sanctified so that no corruption or sinne remains in us therefore in Scriptures that is in us is called flesh and the regenerate is called Spirit thus Rom. 8.1 you have them opposed there is then no condemnation to those that are in Christ that walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and thus againe verse 4. that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled on us who walke not after the Flesh but after the Spirit And Verses 12.13 therefore Brethren we are not Daughters to the Flesh to live after the Flesh that is to live after the motions and corrupt imaginations of our owne corrupt heart is minde for of those can come no good we are no debtors to the flesh for any thing wee can doe after the wisdome of it or the direction of it but wee are debtors to the Spirit who is still moving to goodnesse and to put us forward in that way which will save our poore soules If we live after the Flesh we shall dye but if we mortifie the deeds of the