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"Adam in his first state was made after the Image of God, so that his bodily powers were perfectly under the command of his mind; This Revolt that we feel our Bodies and Senses are always in, cannot be supposed to be God's Original Workmanship"

— Burnet, Gilbert (1643-1715)

Author

Burnet, Gilbert (1643-1715)

Work Title

An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England

Place of Publication

London

Publisher

Ri. Chiswell

Date

1699

Metaphor

"Adam in his first state was made after the Image of God, so that his bodily powers were perfectly under the command of his mind; This Revolt that we feel our Bodies and Senses are always in, cannot be supposed to be God's Original Workmanship"

Metaphor in Context

There is a further Question made, Whether this Vicious Inclination is a Sin, or not? Those of the Church of Rome, as they believe that Original Sin is quite taken away by Baptism, so finding that this corrupt Disposition still remains in us, they do from thence conclude, that it is no part of Original Sin, but that this is the Natural State in which Adam was made at first, only it is in us without the restraint or bridle of Supernatural Assistances, which was given to him, but lost by Sin, and restored to us in Baptism. But as was said formerly, Adam in his first state was made after the Image of God, so that his bodily powers were perfectly under the command of his mind; This Revolt that we feel our Bodies and Senses are always in, cannot be supposed to be God's Original Workmanship. There are great Disputings raised concerning the meaning of a long Discourse of St. Paul 's in the 7th of the Romans, concerning a constant struggle that he felt within himself; which some, arguing from the Scope of the whole Epistle, and the beginning of that Chapter, understand only of the state that S. Paul represents himself to have been in, while yet a Jew, and before his Conversion: Whereas others understand it of him in his converted and regenerated state. Very plausible things have been said on both sides, but without arguing any thing from words, the sense of which is under debate; there are other places which do manifestly express the struggle that [end page 142] is in a good man: The flesh is weak, though the spirit is willing: The flesh lusteth against the spirit, as the spirit lusteth against the flesh: We ought to be still mortifying the deeds of the body; and we feel many Sins that do so easily beset us, that from these things we have reason to conclude, That there is a Corruption in our Nature, which gives us a biass and propensity to Sin. Now there is no reason to think that Baptism takes away all the Branches and Effects of Original Sin: It is enough if we are by it delivered from the Wrath of God, and brought into a state of Favour and Acceptation: We are freed from the Curse of Death, by our being Entitled to a Blessed Resurrection: And if we are so far freed from the Corruption of our Nature, as to have a foederal right to such assistances as will enable us to resist and repress it, though it is not quite Extinct in us, so long as we live in these frail and mortal Bodies, here are very great Effects of our Admission to Christianity by Baptism; though this should not go so far as to root all Inclinations to Evil out of our Nature. The great Disposition that is in us to Appetite and Passion, and that great heat with which they Inflame us; the Aversion that we naturally have to all the Exercises of Religion, and the Pains that must be used to work us up to a tolerable Degree of Knowledge, and an ordinary Measure of Virtue, shews that these are not natural to us: Whereas Sloth and Vice do grow on us without any care taken about them; so that it appears, that they are the natural, and the other the forced growth of our Souls. These ill Dispositions are so universally spread through all Mankind, and appear so early, and in so great a Diversity of ill Inclinations, that from hence it seems reasonable and just to infer, That this Corruption is spread through our whole Nature and Species, by the Sin and Disobedience of Adam. And beyond this a great many among our selves think that they cannot go, in asserting of Original Sin.(p. 142-3)