Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	good_a	law_n	transgression_n	4,529	5	10.4346	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96525	The sealed fountaine opened to the faithfull, and their seed. Or, a short treatise, shewing, that some infants are in the state of grace, and capable of the seales, and others not. Being the chief point, wherein the separatists doe blame the Anabaptists. By John Wilkinson, prisoner at Colchester, against John Morton prisoner at London.	Wilkinson, John, of Bernards Inne.	1646 (1646)	Wing W2243; Thomason E1205_2; ESTC R208780	11,502	29

sinner against God as Adam was God may justly when he makes him a Father make him the Father of a sinner as he did Adam and so visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation Exod. 20. 5. Another conceit they have out of which the former ariseth and that is this that forasmuch as the Law hath dominion over a man so long as he liveth therfore the Law given to Adam concerneth not Infants because they were not then alive But if this be a sound collection let them tell me how sinne came into the world and how God visites the sinners of the Fathers upon the Children As for the dominion which the Law hath over a man so long as he liveth it is like the dominion which a man hath over his Wife which is that she may not be unto another Man so long as her Husband liveth but if her Husband be dead then may she lawfully be unto another man So man is under the dominion of the Law untill in the body of Christ ' he be dead unto the Law and so freed from the Law to be unto another to wit Christ This is that which the Apostle saith Rom. 7. 1. 6. And now I pray you who being of good understanding would have gathered from this place that because Infants were not alive when the Law was given to Adam therfore that Law had no power over them Another nice conceit they have that because the soule is given of God that therfore the body and soule in every Infant is first created apart and afterwards joyned together in one And out of this they gather againe that the soule coming from God must needs be good and therfore without sinne untill it be joyned with the body and then have a Law given and finally transgresse that Law Out of these principles it seemeth to them that they may undeniably conclude that Infants are without sinne How the body and soule come together in Infants I dare not dispute that passeth my capacitie But if this be true which they imagine that Infants are without sinne how comes it to passe that all Infants as they grow up to discerne things doe bring forth the fruits of sinne Whence comes it that they lust after evill and transgresse the Law It is a sure truth that if Infants were without sinne they could not bring forth the fruits therof Seeing therfore all Infants which live and grow up doe bring forth the fruits of sinne it may not with truth be denyed but that Infants have the seed and root of Sin cleaving to their nature which maketh them by neture the Children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. Thirdly they conceive because Infants have not understanding to discerne between good and evil Therfore the Law and sinne concerneth them no more then it doth the unreasonable creatures This is a very unreasonable collection to imagine Infants which are a part of mankind and are sprung out of Adams loynes to be free from the taint and pollution of Adams sinne as the bruit creatures of other kinds be doth any creature but mankind only grow up tobe an idolater blasphemer adulterer c. If Infants were without sinne as other creatures be mankind would no more become such then other creatures do Seeing therfore Infants grow up to be such it is manifest the root of Sin is in their nature Lastly they gather that if Infants we●e not without sinne Christ would not have said to his Disciples That except they should convert and become as a iittle Child they should not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Neither have put his hands on them and blessed them if they had not been alwayes without sinne If this collection be good then none can enter into the Kingdome of Heaven except they have been alwayes without sinne and such as never transgressed any Law for first they imagine Infants to be without sinne as being such as have transgressed no Law And Secondly that in this respect Christ said to his Disciples that except they be converted and become as a little child that is without sinne and such as have transgressed no Law they could not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Thus thick is the darknes wherewith these men are overwhelmed and yet they imagine that they only are in the true light and all that are not of their mind are in darknesse But that which our Saviour teacheth concerning converting and becoming like little children that his Disciples should not be proud nor highminded to exalt themselves and desire to be great and of high degree but that they should submit themselves in all things unto God as Children doe to those whom they stand in awe of This is that which Christ taught his Disciples and this is that which all must doe which enter into the Kingdome of Heaven even submit themselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exall them Against this conceit of Infants being without sinne it hath been objected that Adam was a common root to all mankind and that therefore the Law given to him all mankind being in him was given to all mankind and likewise in him transgressed by all mankind by meanes whereof all Infants come from their Parents polluted with sinne according as David confessed of himselfe that as he was conceived in sinne so he was borne in iniquity To this they Answer that Adam was a common root but not to bring any soule to die for his breaking of the Commandement This answer is not to the purpose the objection is that all mankind sinned in Adam and come from his loynes tainted with sinne and so die not for a sin that Adam committed apartby himselfe without them but for the sin wherewith they were polluted in him To remove therfore this objection they must deny that Adams sinne did pollute him and also asfirme that mankind proceeded from him as sree and cleane from sin as if he had not sinned at all But this they cannot doe and therfore cannot remove this Objection There is none of good and sound understanding that will affirme that where there is Father and Sonne and the Father sinneth and the Sonne sinneth not or the Sonne sinneth but the Father sinneth not that in this cause the Son shall die for the Fathers iniquity or the Father for the Sons iniquity their answere therfore proceeds either of ignorance or perversnesse But concerning this point they have another strange conceipt which is that Adam should have been consumed if Christ had not been provided but Christ being provi●ed his judgement of being consumed was changed into this judgement Cursed is the earth for thy sake c. Gen. 3. 17 19. This is a pretty dreame and it comes of this that Adam d●ed not a bodily death the same day that he eat of the forbidden fru●t But they should know that there are more sorts of death then one which if they did then would they not gather that because Adam died not

a bodily death therefore he died not at all this is too Childish for those which would be teachers But let God be true and every man a lyer Adam by dying died the same day that he sinned not a bodily but a spirituall death under which death he lay untill the promise that the Womans seed should destroy the Serpents power quickened and revived him againe That Curse which is layd upon the earth and the labour which is layd upon Adam was to bring man to a further knowledge of his owne misery and Gods mercy and justice Bodily death is appointed to dissolve man into dust and ashes that from thence hee may rise unto an immortall and unchangable estate either of glory or confusion Their imagination therefore that Adam should have been consumed if Christ had not been provided is but a dreame which will not stand with the stabilitie of the Eternall whose decree is immutable neither altereth hee the thing that proceedeth out of his mouth Concerning Infants they have found at the last that by Adams sinne they have upon them the Corruption thereof and that in such sort as that thereby they are made Subject to death here meeting the truth in their way unsought for and seeing glimse of it so dazeleth their eyes that a increaseth their blindnesse for first their imagine that Infants are not otherwise cory rupted with Adams sinne nor made subject to death then other creatures are and that though Infants be subject to death yet not to be cast into hell fier For the first they should know that there is as much difference betweene the Corruption that is in Infants by the meanes of Adams sin and the corruption that other creatures are subject unto as there is between a young Serpent venemous by nature and that which is stung or invenomed by the ●iting of a Serpent The posterity of Adam have a lust to sin the creature is s●bject to the vanity of mans abuse unto evill not of its own accord Rom. 8. 20. In this therfore their apprehension is too grosse to conceive that Infants are no otherwise corrupted with Adams sin then other creatures are For the Second they sho●ld know that out of Adam a●e sprung two contrary seeds fo● which the●e was prepared two contrary conditions before the world was and therfore all Infants are not under one and the same state condition but some are u●der the state of damnation in hell and some are under the state of salvation in heaven and t●at from the wombe though they cannot tell how to deny this yet will they not rest but imagine still that condemnation comes by some other means then by Adams sault for else think they God could not be just Converning the point of Adams fault their resolution is that it came on all men to condemnation ●ut how so to corrupt their natures that when the Commandement comes they cannot obey and live but sin and dye Here the truth hath met them again and they have looked upon her but have loosed her againe and themselves also for at the First Infants were not without sinne but now their nature is so corrupt that when the Commandement comes they cannot obey and live but sin and die And whersore that let the Apostle answer it is because sin dwels in them Rom. 7. 17. 20. If sin dwell in them how then are they without sin Thus by wandring they have lost themselvs The truth they have loosed by mistaking Paul where he saith that once hee was alive without the Law for out of this they gather that Paul was no sinner till the Commandement came and they confirme themselves in this errour by misunderstanding another Scripture namely that whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law And they are further confirmed in this by the mistaking of a third Scripture which saith That sinne is not imputed whilest there is no Law Out of these they gather that Infants are without sinne untill they know the Law and break it But Paul ●s no Patron of this opinion it was no part of his Doctrine that whilest he was without Law he was without sin but this is that which he teacheth that when he was without Law he was without the knowledge of sin because the knowledge of sin comes by the Law and the reason of this is because without the Law sin is dead that is hath no power to wound and kill the Conscience but the Conscience is quiet and at peace notwithstanding sin untill the Law come for as the sting of sin is death so the strength of sin is the Law This is that which Paul teacheth And it doth not follow that because sin is dead in a man untill the Law come that therfore there is no sin in him for if sin were not in him how should he find it by the coming of the Law in this therfore they understand the Apostle very childishly and against all reason for where he saith That he found by the Law that sin dwelt in him they understand him to the clean contrary that sin was not in him And as in this they misunderstand so doe they in this that the Law speaketh to those which be under the Law Out of this they gather that a man must know the Law before he be under it and he must be under the Law and transgresse it before he have sin so that untill a man know the Law and transgresse it he is without sin wheras indeed the transgression of the Law is but the finishing and bringing forth of sin conceived before of lust which as an harlot consenteth to the tempter and bringeth forth transgression I am 1. 15 The Apostle in saying that whatsoever the Law saith it ●aith it to those that be under the Law doth it to prove that ●hose things which are rehearsed from the tenth verse of the ●hird Chapter to the Romans unto the eighteenth verse are ●rue concerning the Iews and that therfore the Iewes were ●nder sin together with the Gentiles and that all the world ●re under condemnation verse 19 Now therfore if Infants be a part of the world then are ●hey under condemnation The Apostle saith not that a man is without sin till he be under the Law but he saith that the L●w convinceth all that be under it of sin which could not be if sin were not in them Here therfore they shoot farre short of the Apostles mark he concludes the whole world to be under condemnation and proves it by the Law And they imagine that when the Law comes it finds those to whom it comes to be without sin and free from condemnation So that still where th' Apostle saith one thing they understand him of another thing yea to the clean contrary The Lord open their eyes that they may see it The third Scripture which they pervert is this That sin is not imputed whilst there is no Law Rom. 5. 13. Out of this they gather

THE SEALED FOVNTAINE opened to the Faithfull and their Seed OR A short Treatise shewing that some Infants are in the state of Grace and capable of the seales and others not Being the chief point wherein the Separatists doe blame the Anabaptists By JOHN WILKINSON Prisoner at Colchester against John Morton Prisoner at London Satis est cui contingit nitil am●lius opiat ISA. 59. 21. As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever ISA. 65. 23. They shall not labour in vaine nor bring forth for trouble for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord and their off spring with them ACT. 2. 38. The promise is unto you and to your Children and to all that are afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call To all that love the Lord Jesus in Sincerity and fervently desire a further revealing of the mysteries of his Kingdome Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed c. BEloved Brethern and Sisters in our only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ This little Treatise being composed by one of my ancient Brethren departed in the Faith was left in my cust●die for the publicke good and therfore considering how needfull it would be to be published rather then ●bscured I thought none was more fit to have the speciall use thereof then those who have the spirit of discerning through the knowledge of the Word of Truth whereby to perceive the manifest difference between Babels Brats and SIONS Babes for the which respect I have presented it chiefly unto you intreating you to peruse it with understanding and weigh it with discretion and as the Noble Men of Berea did so doe yee search and examine whether the scope thereof be agreeable to the Scriptures or no. There are many which strive to enter into the Kingdome of heaven but are not able a Luke 13 24. because they want Faith b Heb 18 ●9 which is the gift of GOD c Ephe 2 8. GOD can give his guifts to whom he pleaseth d Luk 12 2. but he will not doe all which he can doe e Exo 19 19 though he can doe all that he will doe f Mat 19 ●6 To thinke it any deficiencie in GOD because he doth not or unbountifullnesse because he will not argues a carnall and sensuall disposition GOD could have spared the infants of the floud from dr●wning g Gen 7 4. and Sodoms seed from burning h Gen. 18. 24 He could have spared the first borne of the Aegyptians i Ex 12 29 and might have left out that Commandement where the Children of Idolaters were commanded to be slain with their Idolatrous Parents k 1 Sam. 1 3. but he would not because it stood not with his Justice it was his will and pleasure so to doe who doth what he will in heaven and in earth c. and who dare controle him l Dan. 4 Psal 135 GOD is as good as his word who hath in all ages from the beginning visited the sinnes of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation and will doe so to the end m Exo 10 GODS two witnesses * Isa 29 Psal 119 105 can produce many examples hereof we have the Law Prophesies and Gospel whose testimony none ought to refuse under paine of damnation But it is the property of those who are unlearned in God's Law and unstable in their wayes * Iam. 1. 8 to wrest the Scripture to their own destruction n 2 Pet 3 ●6 or else seek to restraine the power and efficacie thereof much like to the foure Angels which John saw stand upon the foure corners of the Earth to hold the foure winds of the Earth that they should not blow Rev. 7. 1. Of this sort are those which would seek to withold the Covenant of the Gospel from Ezra 9 2. Psal 128 holy Infants o the young ●live plants * of beleeving Parents it is apparent that to plucke up these plants is to plucke up the plants which the right hand of our heavenly Father hath planted p Mat 19 13 14 15. which are the Children of those Parents upon whom GOD hath promised to write his owne name and the name of his holy Citty That just God which did break off the naturall branches the Iewes for unbeliefes sake together with Exod 15 25 their seed the same God hath by his own right hand graffed us in their stead q Rom 11 19 20 and shall we presume to imagine that he forgot our seed Mose's who was guided by the Spirit of God forgot not the seed of the faithfull r Deut 32 sure I am Christ being more faithfull in his House then ever Moses was ſ Heb 3 2 3. hath not made a separation between the faithfull and their seed but remembreth his Covenant saying I will be a GOD unto thee and unto thy Seed c. t Gen 17 7 seeing that God is their God they are his People and such are visible members of Christs Church which is his Body and Mount Sion in which place GOD hath promised the blessing even life unto eternity u Psa 133 3 Therefore in what a wofull condition are those who say all Infants are in one * Ia 2 13 condition and that no Infants are under the Covenant of Grace herein they seek to bind that which God never bound and to loose that which God never loosed v He 13 8 for Jesus Christ is yesterday to day and the same for ever Thus when they have brought forth in outward action that which they had in conception it tends to the destruction of the Covenant of the Lord of glory which is the bond of all Christian communion and fellowship And those which say that the Infants of Beleevers have no part in this Covenant let them tell us in what estate they be if they say they are to be accounted in the state of salvation then they must needs grant that they are to be accounted within the Covenant of grace to whom the outward priviledges of the Covenant doe belong w Rev 22 14. If they say they are in the state of damnation and have no promise at all but are as the Children whom GOD 2 Pet 3 20 21 Isa 34 9 10. destroyed with their wicked Parents some with water others with fire and brimstone c. I say and will affirme that this their Doctrine hath sprung from a bitter root it tends to make the lives of all Infants bitter because thereby they make bitter meanes of the preservation of the life of their soules In this they are like to the fallen Starre whose name was