And so the ancestor, and all his heires, Though they in number passe the stars of heauen, Are still but one; his forfeitures are theirs, And vnto them are his aduancements giuen: His ciuill acts doe binde and bar them all; And as from _Adam_, all corruption take, So, if the father's crime be _capitall_ In all the _bloud_, Law doth _corruption_ make. Is it then iust with vs, to dis-inherit The vnborn nephewes for the father's fault? And to aduance againe for one man's merit, A thousand heires, that have deservèd nought? And is not God's decree as iust as ours, If He, for _Adam's_ sinne, his sonnes depriue, Of all those natiue vertues, and those powers, Which He to him, and to his race did giue? For what is this contagious sinne of kinde But a priuation of that grace within? And of that great rich dowry of the minde Which all had had, but for the first man's sin? If then a man, on light conditions gaine A great estate, to him and his, for euer; If wilfully he forfeit it againe Who doth bemone his heire or blame the giuer? So, though God make the _Soule_ good, rich and faire, Yet when her forme is to the body knit, Which makes the Man, which man is _Adam's heire_ Iustly forth-with He takes His grace from it: And then the soule being first from nothing brought, When God's grace failes her, doth to nothing fall; And this _declining pronenesse unto nought_, Is euen that sinne that we are borne withall. Yet not alone the first good qualities, Which in the first _soule_ were, depriuèd are; But in their place the contrary doe rise, And reall spots[115] of sinne her beauty marre. Nor is it strange, that Adam's ill desart Should be transferd vnto his guilty Race; When Christ His grace and iustice doth impart To men vniust, and such as haue no grace. Lastly, the _Soule_ were better so to bee Borne slaue to sinne, then not to be at all; Since (if she do belieue) One sets her free, That makes her mount the higher for her fall. _Yet this_ the curious wits will not content; They yet will know (sith[116] God foresaw this ill) Why His high Prouidence did not preuent The declination of the first man's will. If by His Word He had the current staid Of _Adam's_ will, which was by nature free; It had bene one, as if His Word had said, I will henceforth that _Man no man shall bee_. For what is Man without a moouing mind, Which hath a iudging _wit_, and chusing _will_? Now, if God's power should her election bind, Her motions then would cease and stand all still.