distinction of veniall and mortall sinnes Prou. 24. 16. A iust man falleth seuentimes and riseth vp againe Ergo Men may commit sinnes veniall and yet remaine iust Answ Here is no proofe that these falls or sinnes are not mortall in themselues For that a iust man sinning remaineth iust is not from the nature of the sinnes which he doth fall into but from the state of adoption and Gods mercy which giueth him grace to repent which is here to bee vnderstood by his rising againe God accepting of him in Christ through whom he is accounted iust and in whom all his sinnes are veniall XXXI Proposition Of keeping Gods Commandements THe question is not of man before his fall for he could then The state of the question keepe them nor of man in corrupt estate for hee cannot keepe them being altogether wicked and euill as before is proued nor of man in state of glory being in all perfection and able perfectly to doe the will of God But the question is of man regenerate in the state of grace as he here liueth going on by Gods assisting grace vnto the perfection in glory Neither is the question here of any kinde of keeping for the regenerate man in diuers respects may bee said to keepe Gods commandements First Imputatiuely in Retract lib. 2. cap. 19. Christ who is our Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption and through whom we are pardoned To this fitteth that of Saint Austin All the commandements are then reputed done when that is for giuen which is left vndone Secondly in respect of his will God hauing giuen him a will and hearty desire in sinceritie to keepe his commandements and then in his mercy accepting the same will for the deed Thirdly in respect of his endeuour and carefull striuing in all good conscience to frame his life after these commandements so keeping them according to the measure of his grace receiued Fourthly comparatiuely in respect of others who liue loosely without care and conscience of obedience A godly gracious person in respect of such may be said to keepe the commandements Lastly in respect of his integritie of heart to one commandement as well as to another and to all and euery clause of euery commandement at all times without sinister regard according to his knowledge and power of diuine grace giuen to assist him therein Of such kinds of keeping is not the question but it is this That a regenerate man by assistance of Gods grace is able to obserue all and euery commandement of God in euery part at all times in thought word and deed perfectly as God in his Law requireth of him Confuted by their owne Bible 1. IT maketh all to haue sinne in them 1. Ioh. 1. 8 10. If we say Prou. 20. 9. we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues If we say we haue no sinne we make him a lyer Now here in the word wee is vnderstood Saint Iohn the beloued Apostle as well as others So Iames saith In many things we offend Iam. 3. 2. and Where sinne is there is the transgression of the Law 1. Ioh. 3. 4. And they that sinne keepe not perfectly the Law II. It maketh iust men imperfect and offenders against the Law Eccles 7. 21. There is no iust man in the earth that doth good and sinneth not Prou. 24. 16. Seuen times shall the iust fall and rise againe This they themselues expound of sinne that a iust man sinneth oftentimes III. It affordeth vs a world of examples of most excellent men which haue offended and greatly transgressed the Law of God Adam made in perfection iust Noah holy Aaron righteous Iob zealous Dauid Ieremie the Prophet Saint Peter and other the Apostles also when they forsooke Christ IV. It bringeth in Saint Paul who was an Apostle who had beene rapt into the third heauen bewayling himselfe calling himselfe an vnhapppy man because of that sinne which yet remained in him which made him to doe the euill which hee would not and hindred him in doing the good which hee would doe and so repugning the Law of his minde and captiuing him in the Law of sinne which is in his members Rom. 7. 19 24. In like manner Iob cap. 9. 28 31. fearing all his workes for though hee should be washed yet saith he speaking of God Thou shalt dip me in filth and my garments shall abhorre me Lastly it teacheth the forme of the Lords Prayer wherein wee all and euery one are taught to aske dayly forgiuenesse of God which sheweth that wee all trespasse dayly against him Contraried by Antiquitie Ambros in Comment on Gal. 3. The commandements are such as it is vnpossible to keepe them Austin in Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. Woe be to the most commendable life that we can leade if thou Lord setting thy mercie aside shouldest examine it Bernard on Cant. Serm. 50. The commandements neither haue beene fulfilled in this life by any man nor can be And afterwards he saith that the Law exceedeth mans strength and acknowledgeth that God commanded things impossible not to make vs sinners but to humble vs. Gainesaid by their owne selues Doway in Annot. on Prou. 24. 15 16. saith that without imperfections no man liueth Rhemists on Matth. 6. 12. doe acknowledge that euery man though hee be neuer so iust liueth not without veniall sinnes Now hauing proued before that all sinne in its nature is mortall Therefore by this their grant all men sinne mortally when they sinne if that there were not remission through Christ Ferus in Act. 15. The Law is an impossible burthen for it requireth not onely the hand but the heart Secondly it conuinceth vs to bee sinners for wee doe all more against it then for it Aquinas saith in Gal. 3. lect 4. It is impossible to fulfill the whole Law and citeth for it Act. 15. 10. Scriptures obiected answered Phil. 4. 3. I can doe all things through Christ which strengthneth me Answ 1. All things must of necessitie be limited for Paul could not doe all things without exception Secondly they are to bee applyed to the all things which hee before spake of in the former verse that is to bee abased and to abound In all things saith he I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Here we see the Apostle limits his all things to these kinde of things Thirdly herein cannot bee included the commandements for that the Apostle should here contradict himselfe For in Rom. 7. 18 19 20. speaking of the Law he professeth his inabilitie to performe that which is good Fourthly let it be granted that here the commandements are included as they would yet perfect obedience will not bee hence included For its one thing to be a doer and another thing to doe all in perfection A man may say hee is to doe and can doe all his Masters businesse Will it therfore follow that he so doth it as no defect euer at any time
Answ 1. Howsoeuer the profound wisedome of the Gagger makes this euident yet Bellarmine graunts it to bee a darke Scripture and there indeed is not a more obscure text wherein most Expositors are to seeke and hardly can finde to giue themselues satisfaction herein And therefore being in sense darke and doubtfull is not a sufficient proofe in a Controuersie Secondly this so euident a place with the Gagger for Purgatorie the Rhemists could not see to note it nor Lyra nor Thomas nor Hugo de Sancto Charo a Cardinall nor their Glosse nor Caietan much lesse Saint Chrysostome nor Ambrose nor Haymo nor other moe some expounding it one way some another but not of Purgatorie nor of any such thing as may iustly inferre Purgatorie Thirdly the scope of the place is to proue the Resurrection of the dead and not Purgatorie for it is said If the dead rise not at all why are they baptized for the dead Now for them to expound baptized afflicted and afflicted to signifie fasting and praying for the dead and that for those in Purgatorie it is farre from prouing the Apostles scope and the Resurrection from the dead Fourthly whatsoeuer the sense of baptized for the dead may be First it is cleare that here by dead is vnderstood the dead in graue whose bodies were to rise againe and not of soules in Purgatorie Secondly if baptisme here should be afflicting yet to bee baptized for the dead is to bee taken not actiuely for such as baptize that is as our Aduersaries here expound doe afflict themselues but passiuely for such to be afflicted by other Thirdly this reason which the Apostle vseth seemeth to be such a thing as was well knowne and so forcible to perswade to beleeue the Resurrection as the same words are in this one verse twice mentioned But how can our Aduersaries proue that men to afflict themselues by fasting prayer for the dead was so well knowne and practised then in the Church And yet if so how proueth it the Apostles Doctrine touching the Resurrection of the dead and the bodies of men to rise out of the graue or that therefore there is a Purgatorie For the Beleeuers mourned for Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him Act. 8. 2. yet proueth it not a Purgatorie nor that Steuen was in it being a Martyr and the first of all other These three things let the Gagger proue before he build his paper Purgatorie on this Text. Fiftly the words for the dead may bee expounded for the hope of the Resurrection of the dead and the word baptized for afflicted and so the words may bee thus read Else what shall they doe which suffer and endure troubles in hope of the Resurrection of the dead if so be the dead doe not rise at all why are they then afflicted for this hope of the dead to rise againe Thus interpreted it is current enough agreeable to the scope and the next verses 30 31 32. seeme to me to confirme this exposition For the Apostle hauing said Why are they baptized forth with he saith Why stand wee in ieopardie euery houre then he telleth of his dying dayly and of his fighting with beasts at Ephesus and all vpon the hope of the Resurrection professing all to be in vaine no aduantage to him if the dead rise not at all So as here the Apostle expoundeth the word baptized to be all one with to stand in ieopardie to dye dayly and to fight with beasts and the words for the dead his certaine hope of their rising againe which aduantageth him in enduring such troubles and afflictions else it were no matter to liue like Epicures and then say Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye Thus this place vnderstood remoueth obscuritie agreeth with the scope hath warrant from the stile of the Apostle is a strong reason to perswade that the dead shall rise againe and may satisfie the minde of him that seekes resolution in so manifold varieties of expositions as haue been hitherto made vpon this place Luk. 16. 9. Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when you shallneed they may receiue you into the euerlasting habitations Answ 1. The Rhemists looking on this place found no Purgatorie but that Saints departed doe pray for vs. Which what is it to Purgatorie Secondly by they is to hee vnderstood the Angels by the euerlasting habitations meant Heauen How the Gagger could picke out Purgatorie hence I see not Surely hee had a great blazing Torch bigger then all Purgatorie fire else could hee not haue seene Purgatorie thorow this darke creuise Luk. 23. 42. Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Hence saith he the good thiefe presupposed that soules might be holpen after death Answ 1. What then Ergo a Purgatorie Proue this For soules are holpen after death when by the holy Angels they are carried into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. Secondly the good Thiefe prayeth here to Christ for saluation by him as now he was in the world and ready to die and not through feare of Purgatorie to bee deliuered out of it The Gagger must proue that he beleeued a Purgatorie Thirdly Christs answer cleereth this for hee said This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Christ vnderstood him to pray to goe to heauen and not to bee holpen in Purgatorie and therefore promiseth him Heauen that day whither he himselfe went 2. Machab. 12. 46. It is therefore an holy and healthfull cogitation This is as it is in their Bible to pray for the dead that they may bee loosed from sinnes Answ 1. This booke is Apocryphal and so of no force to perswade in a doubted point of faith Secondly here is no word of Purgatorie though we should admit of the place Thirdly in this Verse see Montanus his Bible there is in the originall no mention of praying for the dead but of making reconciliation Fourthly but to yeeld the translation What then Praying for the dead proueth not Purgatorie For the Greekes pray for the dead and yet beleeue no Purgatorie Fiftly they prayed here for the pardon of sinnes and not for freedome out of Purgatorie Sixtly the parties here prayed for dyed in mortall sinne and were guilty of horrible idolatry forbidden by the Law ver 40. but such as so dye goe not to Purgatorie it is a place for veniall and not for mortall sinners as they teach Seuenthly the mouing cause of their praying and making an offering to send to Ierusalem for a sinne-offering was for that they were mindfull of the Resurrection verse 44. and not that they thought these men to be in Purgatorie This rests to be proued Eighthly and lastly it is cleere that the Author of this booke did not dreame of any Purgatorie For hee maketh the ground of praying for the dead onely the hope of the Resurrection affirming the act otherwise to be superfluous vaine verse 44. Tobie 4. 18. Set thy bread and thy wine vpon
any thing vnto God Psal 16. 2. XII It teacheth that no man can merit of God by doing that which he ought to doe but rather when wee haue done all things that are commanded to iudge our selues vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17. 10. But whatsoeuer we doe in obedience to God the same we ought to doe and that with all our minde heart soule and strength Matth. 22. and therefore cannot merit by dutie no more then a man can merit by paying his debts This it is which made Saint Paul to say that he had nothing to glory of when he did but his duty 1. Cor. 9. 16. Lastly it is altogether needlesse to conceit of merit For what would we merit Is it pardon of sinne or fauour of God or life euerlasting life and heauen it selfe Then these need not bee merited For first Christ hath by his bloud cleansed vs of all our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 7. God through him hath pardoned all offences Col. 2. 13. Ephes 1. 7. Act. 13. 38. and so are wee healed 1. Pet. 2. 24. Secondly Christ hath reconciled vs to God Rom. 5. 10 11. and so haue we peace with him through Christ Rom. 5. 1. Thirdly Christ hath gotten vs full assurance of Heauen by the surest way that may be for it is ours both by purchase Heb. 9. 12. by donation Ioh. 10. 28. and also by inheritance Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 4. 7. and 3. 29. So as our obedience and seruice and works are done not to merit eternall life but rather to expresse our thankefulnesse for those things which he hath done for vs. It is with vs as with a man once very rich and wealthy vnder Simile a great Landlord whose Tenant 1. hath runne himselfe out of all and turned Bankerupt 2. is become infinitely in debt and not able to pay 3. is at last cast into prison there to lye and dye for any meanes possible either by himselfe or any of his friends to set him free Now the sonne of this his great Landlord is so exceeding full of compassion and loue that of meere pitty without any suite or desert of the partie imprisoned First goeth and payeth all the debt to the vtmost farthing satisfying all to the full so freeth him of his imprisonment Secondly then he purchaseth again his Lands and redeemeth them for the poore Tenants vse and benefit as before and maketh them sure to him againe by word and writing sealed and deliuered before witnesses Thirdly he furnisheth him with moneyes to set him on worke and to manage this his estate as long as hee liueth So as he becommeth hereby rich Now what is this man to doe with these his moneys and with honest increase thereof Is he to pay his debts therewith They bee paid already Is he to purchase his Lands againe to redeeme them therewith They are purchased to his hand What is hee then to doe By the Law of gratitude hee is onely to expresse his thankefulnesse by shewing himselfe obliged to him in all seruiceable duties for euer to loue him vnfeinedly feare to offend him at any time and to be euer ready at his command and not like a proud arrogant dotard to endeuour with this his friends moneys to make needlesse payments purchases as if he scorned to be beholding to such a friend as had done already all these things for him This tenant is Adam and his posteritie Application who lost Paradise and all his right of heauen and earth and by his sinnes to God became infinitely indebted and so is cast into the kingdome of darknesse vnrecouerably in respect of any power of any naturall man to redeeme him But Christ Iesus he comes by his death payes his debts by his obedience purchaseth him the right of heauen and earth againe This he assureth him of by his word writing the couenant in his heart then giueth he him his Spirit the seale of that inheritance and so thereupon the comfort of conscience to be witnes thereto Then doth he bestow vpon him manifold gifts and graces to adorne his profession to glorifie Christ and to allure other to his seruice to stop the mouthes of wicked blasphemers to inable him the better to doe Christs seruice and to shew himselfe thankful not to striue vaine-gloriously to make himselfe copurchaser with Christ and that not with any thing of his owne but with Christs owne gifts and graces These former ends we Protestants onely ayme at and doe rest with our Lord and Sauiours purchase most thankefully This latter the proud Pharisaicall Papists striue vnto as if Christs paiment and purchase were insufficient without their helpe and yet without Christs bounty are beggerly wretches This their pride ingratitude and derogation from Christs goodnesse towards them doe deserue damnation Contraried by Antiquitie Austin lib. de gra lib. arbit cap. 9. God bringeth vs to eternall life not for our merits but for his owne mercy Origen ad Rom. lib. 4. cap. 4. I hardly beleeue that there is any worke that may require the reward of debt Because this is lately handled out of the Fathers he that desires any more let him reade Bishop Vshers last booke touching merits who citeth Saint Austin Ambrose Origen Hillary Basil Chrysostome Theodoret Cyril of Alexandria Prosper Ennodius Fulgentius Eusebius Emissen Agapetus Bernard and diuers others moe Reade also Doctor White his last Book against Fisher of this Controuersie pag. 510. Gainsaid by themselues In the Canon of the Masse the Priest makes his prayer thus Receiue vs into the fellowship of thy Saints not weighing our merits but granting vs pardon by Iesus Christ our Lord. Here is renouncing merit and appealing to mercy through Christ Saint Gregory on Psal 7. poenit It is one thing for God to reward men according to their workes and another for the workes themselues and hee alledgeth the Apostles saying The suffering of this life is not worthy of the glory of the life to come Our Aduersaries grant that the children which goe to heauen goe thither without merit by the vertue of the free Adoption by Iesus Christ Now the meanes of saluation in Christ is one and not diuers in respect of the persons saued for one sort to be saued without and another by merits as if Christ were not alike sufficient for both or that there were any other ground of saluation then the free election of grace Ephes 1. 4 5. Rom. 11. 5 6. Act. 13. 48. See the forenamed D. White against the merit of condignitie citing Gregory Arimine Durand Marsilius Waldensis Burgensis Digres 3 5. Sec. 15. Eckius with others Also his Brother D. Whites way of the true Church producing some of these and withall citing Ferus Bellarmine Stella his prayer on Luke chap. 7. and Anselmes prayer taught the people renouncing and plainely denying their owne merits and resting on Christs merits and his blessed death and Passion onely Scriptures obiected answered Matth. 16. 27. Hee shall reward euery man
fire from heauen Leuit. 10. 1 5. Vzzah of a good intent but touching the Arke was striken dead of God 2. Sam. 6. 7. The Bethshemites for but looking into the Arke were smitten dead to the number of aboue fifty thousand 1. Sam. 6. 19. The Israelites slaine in the Wildernesse 1. Cor. 10. For vnaduisedly speaking yea when it came from a vexed and exasperated spirit was Moses punished Psal 105. 32 33. he was not permitted to goe into Canaan which was a type of Heauen but hee must dye before euen Moses Now whatsoeuer sinne vnder the Law God punished with death or commanded to be punished by death the same without remission deserued eternall death For the first time that death is mentioned it is to bee vnderstood of death temporall and eternall due to all had not there beene a Mediatour betweene God and vs Gen. 2. 17. Fourthly it teacheth that Originall sinne which is lesse then any actuall sinne whether in thought word or deed is punished with death Rom. 5. 12. Now if the reward of this sinne be death then surely much more any other flowing from thence though it seeme to man neuer so small an offence deserueth death as the very consent of the minde to other euill doers among which boasters are reckoned is worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. yea and Commessations which we translate Reuellings wherein too many much delight is a sinne which keepes the doers thereof that they cannot obtaine the Kingdome of God Gal. 5. 21. Fifthly sinnes of ignorance vnder the law Leuit. 4. 2 13 27. had sacrifices appointed to make an atonement to God for them Now all sacrifices for sinne shewed that a man deserued death for euery such sinne Now if sinnes of ignorance deserue death what may all men think of such sins as Papists call veniall before-mentioned plainely forbidden by the Word of God Sixtly to commit adulterie is a mortall sinne but their Bible telleth vs that for one to see a woman to lust after her hath al-already committed adulterie with her in his heart Matth. 5. 28. And can any sinne seeme lesse then concupiscence of the heart suddenly arising by the obiect to the sight And yet Papists make wanton dalliances no sinne or as none in their account Seuenthly it sheweth that it is Christs bloud that cleanseth from all sinne 1. Ioh. 1. Now if euery sinne needs cleansing by his bloud then euery sinne in its owne nature is mortall in that it cannot be cleansed but by his death Contraried by Antiquitie Austin in Enchirid. cap. 79. speaking of sinnes which might seeme small saith They might bee thought very light but that in the Scriptures they are demonstrated greater then wee doe imagine But that the truth speakes it who would thinke saith hee that for a man to call his Brother foole is guiltie of hell-fire The ancient Fathers earnestly exhort to beware of counting any sinnes light or small Basil qu. Contract qu. 4. No sinne is to bee accounted as small for that saith hee it is the sting of death See for this Austin Epist 108. and in Ioh. 11. 13. Chrysost on Gal. 1. Ierome in Epist ad Caelantiam It is very safe to beware of small sinnes as if they were great c. Neither doe I know saith he whether we may call any sinne small seeing it is committed with a kinde of contempt of God And he is most prudent who respects not so much the quantitie of the thing commanded as the dignitie of the Commander See Master Perkins his Demonst of his Probl. of veniall sin and therein many testimonies of the Ancients Gainsaid by their owne men Almaine out of Gerson Moral Tract 3. cap. 20. concludeth that no sinne is veniall of it selfe but onely through the mercy of God Azorius instit Moral part 1. lib. 4. cap. 8. doth maintaine against Bellarmine that veniall sinnes are against the Law Now that which is against the Law is deadly Of this opinion is Fisher Bishop of Rochester and diuers others See the Authors in Doctor Whites Way digres 38. pag. 247. and Bishop Mortons Protest Appeal pag. 646. To passe ouer the oppositions of one against another they all call them sinnes Now euery sinne is the transgression of the Law 1. Ioh. 3. 4. By which we come to the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3. 26. and 7. 7. And if there were no Law there were no transgression Rom. 4. 15. Therefore in confessing veniall sinnes to be sinnes they make them transgressions of the Law and then the Law worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. and so necessarily through veniall sinnes they are vnder wrath and so sinne mortally euen to condemnation except God in Christ pardon them and that they doe heartily repent pray for pardon and seeke with God reconciliation by Christ Scriptures obiected answered Matth. 5. 25. Whosoeuer is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of Iudgement And whosoeuer shall say vnto his Brother Racha shall be in danger of Councill and whosoeuer shall say Thou Foole shall be guilty of Hell-fire Answ This place proueth not any sinnes to be veniall and not mortall in their owne nature For first this should be against the scope of Christs speech in confuting the Pharises mis-vnderstanding the Law and here in particular the sixt commandement They stucke to the Letter Christ here extendeth the breach of this Law to thoughts and words so making a man by causelesse anger and railing words to be before God guiltie of murder Is this then to make sinne veniall or are not rather those which they conceit to bee veniall by Christ here made mortall if to be guilty of bloud before God be mortall Secondly here is no difference made of sinnes in their nature but onely here is shewed the degrees of sinning and that one offence is greater then another For faine would I know of them how they can distinguish these in nature that anger and calling one Racha should be veniall and to call one Foole to bee mortall Thirdly the punishments here expressed distinguish not the nature of the sinnes but shew the degrees of punishments according as men sinne For as God in mercy will reward mens well-doings with degrees of glory so in iustice will he in hell the damned with degrees of punishment Matth. 10. 15. Fourthly whereas our Aduersaries make Iudgement and Councill temporall punishments for veniall sinnes and hell fire for mortall sinnes taking aduantage by the translation of the word Gehenna First it is cleere that punishments doe not alter the nature of sinnes but being duely executed doe shew onely the degrees of sinne to be greater or lesser and so are they accordingly punished Secondly Papists themselues hold vnaduised anger and words euen tending to blasphemie comming of sudden and vnaduised anger as the word Racha and Foole doe here to be veniall sinnes Therefore they erre in distinguishing the sinnes thus into veniall and mortall which they themselues account to be veniall Thirdly the punishments here mentioned are such
actions tending to pietie Or the places vrged are such as speake of mans free-will in spirituall actions and these may bee reduced to three heads First to those which perswade exhort and command men to turne and repent to doe good workes to beleeue loue and obey God To which a full answer is made before to Deut. 30. 19. Secondly to those which speake of men holpen by God in workes of pietie which are to be vnderstood of such as be holpen by Gods assisting grace who haue been prepared before by his preuenting grace Thirdly to those where men are said to be co-workers with God which must be vnderstood of them in whom God hath wrought both the will and deed first for so they worke and God also in them Phil. 2. 12 13. Through Christ saith the Apostle I can doe all things who strengtheneth mee Phil. 4. 13. I liue saith he and Christ in me So they liue together Gal. 2. 20. I labour saith he yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 2. Cor. 15. 10. He labours and grace assisteth him To all these places wee may answer generally thus First that wee doe acknowledge a freedome of will in spirituall things when God hath first wrought it in vs. Secondly that those places alledged of them speake of Gods commanding yea and commending of holy mens willingnesse prayers and holy words good workes but they doe not manifest by what power they so will so pray professe and practise and therefore doe not determine the question in hand Which other Scriptures cleerely doe for vs and against our Aduersaries XXX Proposition That some sinnes are in their owne nature veniall and doe not deserue eternall punishment TO cleere this point and to make their errour euident to all obserue what they hold to be veniall sinnes First all those sinnes and negligences into which through weakenesse vpon euery little occasion men euery houre do fall Secondly all the ill motions of the heart being without full deliberation and consent as the sudden passions of the minde concupiscence anger desire of reuenge and such like so vaine and idle thoughts Thirdly such words as sudden and violent passion without precedent deliberation and intent forceth as in a rage and fury to sweare and curse So cholericke answers for trifles rayling and reproachfull termes To these adde excessiue prating idle talking scurrilous and filthy speaking ribald songs officious lying without damage to a mans neighbour vaine boasting preferring his owne wit strength and beauty before others Fourthly such sinnes as a man committeth against his owne good as to spend his time idly gouerne his estate badly wastfully consuming his goods louing to play at Cards and Dice and to goe to Playes to exceede in apparell eating and drinking with delight of his belly Fifthly sinnes towards others as children disobeying Parents when it is of negligence and sensualitie To steale trifles and things of little value Sixtly such sinnes as bee outward to-moue delight as painting the face or for pastime as scoffing and obscene iests and gestures in Playes and such like in sport Seuenthly such sinnes as are against pietie and deuotion as not to sanctifie well the Sabbath day to fast pray giue almes and to goe to the Church for vaine-glory to confesse sinnes negligently and many other besides all these they count veniall sinnes Heere may we see plainely how it comes to passe that vaine people loue so much that vaine licentious Religion runne to it and continue in it and the reasons are First for that they make such euils as these and many other moe yea some kinde of soule secret euils veniall or no sinnes at all not simply sinnes but imperfectly and onely sinnes in some sort Secondly because they hold and teach that these are not iniurious to God are pardonable without repentance not deserue hell not in strictnesse of necessitie to bee confessed to a Priest neither can God in iustice punish them more then with a temporall punishment Thirdly because that as they teach God doth easily pardon and forgiue these and the remedies prescribed are for the most part very easie which be these the giuing of Almes knocking vpon our brest with some remorse going into a Church receiuing holy water with a deuout motion the Bishops blessing crossing of ones selfe bearing with other folkes defects and froward dealings towards vs confessing our sinnes in generall hearing of Masse deuoutly and to be patient in aduersitie and troubles These things are taught some by one sort some by another sort of their learned men See Vaux his English Catechisme also the mirrour to confesse well and D. Whites Way digress 38. Doctor White his Orthodox way cap. 1. obs 2. sect 3. pag. 28. in quarto who doe produce the Authors which teach these To hold that there are any such sinnes as these or any sinnes at all veniall in their owne nature and not deseruing damnation is the very nursery of fleshly libertie and the high-way to destruction Confuted by their owne Bible First it telleth vs that death is the stipend of sinne not excepting any Rom. 6. 21 23. and pronounceth that the soule that shall sinne the same shall dye Ezek. 18. 20. and that hee is cursed that abideth not in the words of this Law and fulfilleth them not Deut. 27. 26. Gal. 3. 10. making him that offendeth in one to be guiltie of all Iam. 2. 10. and by it also wee learne that deaths sting is sinne 1. Cor. 15. 56. And therefore whatsoeuer is sinne that same is mortall If it bee sinne it is the sting of death and if deaths sting then is it mortall For death doth euer sting deadly Secondly it threatneth death and hell for such sinnes as they count veniall offences seeming very little as in anger to call one foole is in danger of hell fire Matth. 5. 23. and for filthinesse foolish talke or scurrilitie commeth the anger of God Ephes 5. 4. 6. yea we are told that for euery idle word men shall speake they shall render an account in the Day of Iudgement and that as guilty of death Matth. 12. 36. And though our Aduersaries doe hold it a veniall sinne for a man not to husband well his owne estate liuing carelessely and idle yet Christ held it a sinne worthy damnation Matth. 25. 26 27 30. To bee a bragger to be deceitfull to breake a mans couenant to bee without knowledge though they ranke not these among hainous crimes yet deserue they death as we learne by their Bible Rom. 1. 32. Thirdly it telleth vs that for seeming small offences many haue beene fearefully punished as Lots wife for looking backe to haue beene turned into a Statue of Salt Gen. 19. 26. For gathering sticks on the Sabbath day God commanded to stone a man to death Numb 15. 35. and one for blaspheming vpon passion when he was striuing with another Leuit. 24. 10 14. Some of Aarons sonnes for offering strange fire were burnt to death with