Great Illustration by Cornelius Burgess

[C. Matthew McMahon]

Great illustration by Burgess on Romans 7 and sin indwelling the believer...what I want to do I do not do, etc.

"The dominion of sin in the regenerate (which is but improperly called a dominion) may be distinguished from the proper dominion of sin in reprobates, by the instance in two men swimming in a strong tide, one swimming against the tide, the other with it. They are both carried down the stream by the strength of the water, but one strives against it even when he is most violently carried away with it, the other is carried away and never strives but puts out all his strength to swim along with the tide willingly and willfully, with delight and desperate resolution." (Cornelius Burgess, Presumptive Regeneration, or, The Baptismal Regeneration of Elect Infants, (Crossville: Puritan Publications, 2014) page 225, Footnote.

 

[Jack K]

Oh yes, I like that one. Before long, that one is bound to get used in something I write or teach. Thank you.

Maybe this means I need the book...

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

We are in the thralls of completing it as we speak. Its a great work. Nice and controversial. Reformed Theology is always that way!
Give it about a month.

 

[MW]

Very good quotation.

It would be a good service to republish this book, but because of its misunderstanding in the current context it requires a good introduction by someone knowledgeable in the controversy of the time. It would definitely create more misunderstanding to add the words "presumptive regeneration" to the title.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

I don't think it would. Burgess users that phraseology in his work a number of times. The longer title tends to cloud his idea more for today's reader. They would have some type of Roman Catholic idea or baptismal infusion idea. So I'm going with a mix on the title to include both.[emoji12]