ARTICLE IV.

I believe that I was conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity; and that, ever since, I have been continually conceiving mischief, and bringing forth vanity.

This article of my faith, I must of necessity believe, whether I will or no; for if I could not believe it to be true, I should therefore have the more cause to believe it to be so; because unless my heart was naturally very sinful and corrupt, it would be impossible for me not to believe that which I have so much cause continually to bewail; or, if I do not bewail it, I have still the more cause 42to believe it; and, therefore, am so much the more persuaded of it, by how much the less I find myself affected with it. For, certainly, I must be a hardhearted wretch indeed, steeped in sin, and fraught with corruption to the highest, if I know myself so oft to have incensed the wrath of the most high God against me, as I do, and yet not be sensible of my natural corruption, nor acknowledge myself to he, by nature, a child of wrath, as well as others. For, I verily believe, that the want of such a due sense of myself argues as much original corruption, as murder and whoredom do actual pollution. And, I shall ever suspect those to be most under the power of that corruption, that labour most, by arguments, to divest it of its power.

And, therefore, for my own part, I am resolved by the grace of God never to go about to confute that by wilful arguments, which I find so true by woeful experience. If there be not a bitter root in my heart, whence proceeds so much bitter fruit in my life and conversation? Alas! I can neither set my hand nor heart about any thing, but I still show myself to be the sinful offspring of sinful parents, by being the sinful parent of a sinful offspring. Nay, I do not only betray the inbred venom of my heart, by poisoning my common actions, but even my most religious performances also, with sin. I cannot pray, but I sin: nay, I cannot hear, or preach a sermon, but I sin; I cannot give an alms, or receive the sacrament, but I sin; nay, I cannot so much as confess my sins, but my very confessions are still aggravations of them; my repentance needs to be repented of, my tears want washing, and the very washing of my tears need still to be washed over again with the blood of 43my Redeemer. Thus, not only the worst of my sins, but even the best of my duties, speak me a child of Adam: insomuch that whensoever I reflect upon my past actions, methinks I cannot but look upon my whole life, from the time of my conception to this very moment, to be but as one continued act of sin.

And whence can such a continued stream of corruption flow, but from the corrupt cistern of my heart? And whence can that corrupt cistern of my heart he filled, but from the corrupt fountain of my nature? Cease therefore, O my soul, to gainsay the power of original sin within thee, and labour now to subdue it under thee. But, why do I speak of my subduing this sin myself? Surely, this would be both an argument of it, and an addition to it. “It is to thee, O my God, who art both the searcher and cleanser of hearts, that I desire to make my moan? It is to thee I cry out in the bitterness of my soul, ‘O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?’ Who shall? Oh! who can do it, but thyself? Arise thou, therefore, O my God, and show thyself as infinitely merciful in the pardoning, as thou art infinitely powerful in the purging away of my sins.”