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C.XV.
The
fallacious
Ground
of
this Argument
of
M. G's,
328
Secondly,
That
finne reigneth in fuch perfons, Many
have been the
inqui-
ries
of
Learned men
about
reigning
of
finne.
As
What finites
may
be laid to
reigne, and what not?
Whether fnnes
of
ignorance
may
raigne,
as
well
as
finites againf}
knowledge?
What
little
finnes
may be
Paid
to
reigne,
as
well
as
great?
Whether frequent
relapfes
into
any finne
,
prove
that
finne
to
be
reigning?.
Whether
finne
may reigne
in
a
Regenerate
perfon
.'-
Or
whether
a
Saint may fall
into
reigning finne, whereabout
Diviner
of
great note and
name
have differed; all upon
a falfe
bottome
and fuppofall
;
The
Scripture
gives no
ground
for
any fuch inquiries
or difputes
,
or
carer
of
Cónf
cience
,
as
fome men have railed hereupon: And indeed
I
would this were the only in-
fiance,
of
mens
creating
Cafes
ofConfcience,
and
anfwering them
,
when in-
deed,
and
in
truth,
there are
no
fuch
things
;
fo
infnaring
the
ConCciences
of
Men, and intangling more by their
Cafes,
than
they deliver by their
ReJiduti-
ons;
The truth
is,
there
is
no mention
of
any reigningfinne,
or the
Reigning
of
any
finne
in
the
whole Book
of
God
,
taking
finne for
this or
that
particular
finne; But
of
the
Reigne
of
this
Indwelling originali
Loft,
or fountaine
of
al!
finne
there
is
frequent mention. Whileft
that
holds
its
power and univerf
-
lity
in
the
foule,
and
is
not reftrained, nor
ftraitned by
the
Indwelling fpirit
of
grace, with
a new
vital! principle
of
no
leffe
extent, and
of
more power than
it,
be the Aduall
finnes
fen'
or
more,
l¿nomne
or
.unknomne,
little or
great, all
is
one;
finne reignes,and fuch
a
perfon,
is
under
thepower
and dominion
of
finne:
fo
that
in
plain
termes,
to
havefinne
'reigne, is
to
be
unconverted :
and to have
time
not
to
reigne 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
Epift.
to
the
Romans, thefeate
of
this Do&rine
of
reigning
finne;
The
oppofition
infifled
on by
the
Apoftle
is
between the Reigne
of
Sinne
and
Grace;
and
in
purfuit
thereof
hemanifefts how
true
Believers
are tanflated from
the
one
to
the
other.
To
havefinne
reigne is
to
be
in a frate
of
finne;
to have
Grace
reigne,
is
to be
in
a
frate
ofGrace.
So Chapter
5.
21.
As
finne
reigned
unto death fo
Grace reignes through Righteauf:effe unto
eternal/
Life
by
JefusChrift
oar Lord;
The
finne
he
fpeakes
of
is
that
whereof
he
treatesin
all
that
Chapter; the
finne
ofNature,
the
Luft
wherof
we
fpeake, this by
nature
reigneth unto Death, but
when
Grace
comes by Jefits Chrifr,
the
foule
is
de-
livered from
the
power thereof,
fo in
the whole
6.
Chap.
It
is
our
change
of
Plate
and Condition
that
the
Apoftle
infifrs
on
in
our
delivery from
the
reigne
offinne;
and
he tells
us, this
is
that that
deftroyes it,
our
being under
Grace
v:54.
Sinne
'hall
not have dominion overyou
becaufe
you are not under the
Law,
but ruder Grace;
Plainely then there are
two
Lords and
Rulers,
and thefe are
Original]
or
Indwellingfinne and
Grace
or the
Spirit
of
it; The
flrft
Lord
the
Apoftle difcovers with
his
entrance upon
his
Rule and Dominion,
chap.
5.
and
this
all
men by
nature
are
under; The
fecond
he defcribes
Cha
p.6.which
fets
out the Rule
& reigne
of
Grace
in Believers
by
Jefus Chriff. And then
Thirdly
the
place
that both
there
Lords
have
in this
life
in
a
Believer,Cap.7.
This then
is
the
only
reigning
fin
& in
whomfoever it
is in
its
power
& coin
-
pas
as
it
is
in all
unregenerate
men,
in
them,
&
in
them only doth
fin
reigne,
& every-fin they
commit
is
with
fall
content,
(aswas
manifefted
before)
in
exa&
willing
Obedienceto the
foveraigne
Lordthat
reignes
in
them.
4-
9,
Fourthly, obferve
that
the
Grace,
new
Creature,
Principle or
Spiritual! Life
that
is
Given to, beftowed on, and wrought
in
all, and only
Believers,
be it
in
the
loteefl
and
mofI
remiffe
degree
that
can
be imagined,
is
yet no
idle
univerfally fpread over
the whole
foule,
than the contrary
habit
and
princi-
ple
ofLuft
and
finne,
whereof
we
have fpoken;
In
the Underftanding
it
is
Light
in
the
Lord, in
theWill
Life,
in
the
Affeltions
Love,
Delight,
&c.
thole
being