vpon an erronious perswasion of Gods mercie and of his owne future repentance this is the sinne of most men The second is when a man sinneth wilfully in contempt of the law of God this is called by Moses a sinne with a high hand the punishment thereof was by present death to be cut off from among the people The third when a man sinneth not onely wilfully and contemptuously but of set malice spight against God himselfe and Christ Iesus And by this we may conceiue what is the sinne against the holy Ghost which is not euery sinne of presumption or against knowledge and conscience but such a kind of presumptuous offence in which true religion is renounced and that of set purpose and resolued malice against the very Maiestie of God himselfe and Christ. Heb. 10. 29. Now follow other differences of sinne in regard of the obiect thereof which is the Law In respect of the Law sinne is twofold either of commission or of omission I say in respect of the Law because God hath reuealed in his Law two sorts of precepts the one wherein some good thing is commanded to be done as to loue God with all our hearts and our neighbour as our selues the other wherein some euill is forbidden to be done as the making of a grauen Image the taking of the name of God in vaine c. Now a sinne of commission is when a man doth any thing that is flatly forbidden in the Law and word of God as when one man kills another contrarie to the Law which saith Thou shalt not kill A sinne of Omission is when a man leaueth vnperformed some dutie which the Law requireth as for example the preseruing of his neighbours life or good estate when it lieth in his power so to doe These also are truly sinnes and by them as well as by the other men shall be tried in the last iudgement Sinnes of Omission haue three degrees First when a man doth nothing at all but omits the dutie commanded both in whole and in part as when hauing opportunitie and abilitie he doth not mooue so much as one finger for the sauing of his neighbours life Secondly when a man performes the dutie inioyned but failes both in the manner and measure thereof Thus the heathen men failed in doing good workes in that the things which they did for substance and matter were good and commendable beeing done vpon ciuill and honest respects and referred to common good yet in truth their actions were no better then sinnes of omission in as much as they issued from corrupted fountaines hearts void of faith and aimed not at the maine end and scope of all humane actions the honour and glorie of God Thirdly when a man doth things in a right manner but faileth in the measure thereof And thus the children of God doe sinne in all the duties of the law For they doe the good things the law commandeth as loue God and their neighbour but they cannot attaine to that measure of loue which the law requireth And thus the best men liuing doe sinne in euery good worke they doe so as if God should enter into iudgement deale with them in the rigour of his iustice and examine them by the strict rule of the Law he might iustly condemne them euen for their best actions And in this regard when we pray daily for the pardon of our sinnes the best workes we doe must come in the number of them because we faile if not in substance and manner yet at the least in the measure of goodnes that ought to be in the doing of them We must also haue care to repent vs euen of these our sinnes of Omission as well as of the other of Commission because by leauing vndone our dutie we doe ofter offend then by sinnes committed and the least omission is enough to condemne vs i◠it should be exacted at our hands The next differēce of Sinnes may be this Some are Crying sinnes some are sinnes of Toleration Crying sinnes I call those which are so hainous and in their kind so grieuous that they hasten Gods iudgements and call downe for speedie vēgeance vpon the sinner Of this kind there are sundrie exāples in the Scriptures principally foure First Cains sinne in murthering his innocent brother Abel whereof it was saide The voice of thy brothers blood crieth vnto me from the earth The next is the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrha which was pride fulnes of bread abundance of idlenesse vnmercifull dealing with the poore and all manner of vncleannesse Ezech 16. and of this the Lord said that the crie of Sodome and Gomorrha was great and their sinnes exceeding grieuous The third is the sinne of Oppressiō indured by the Israelites in Egypt at the hand of Pharao and his task-masters The fourth is mercilesse Iniustice in wrongful withholding and detaining the labourers hire Now they are called Crying sinnes for these causes First because they are now come to their full measure height beyond which God will not suffer them to passe without due punishment Againe the Lord takes more notice and inquires further into them thē into others by reason that they exceede and are most eminent where they be committed Thirdly they call for present helpe to the afflicted and wronged and consequently for speedie exequution of vengeance vpon the authors and committers of them And lastly because God is wont to giue eare vn to the cries of those that endure so heauie measure at the hands of others and accordingly to helpe them and reward the other with deserued punishment Next vnto these are sinnes of Toleration lesser then the former which though in themselues they deserue death yet God in his mercie shewes his patience and long sufferance vpon the committers thereof either deferring the temporall punishment or pardoning both temporall and eternall to his Elect. Such a sinne was the ignorance of the Gentiles before Christs comming which God deferred to punnish and as we may say winked at it More especially there be three sorts of sinnes of Toleration the first is Originall sinne or concupiscence in the regenerate after regeneration for it is not in our conuersion quite abolished but remaines more or lesse molesting and tempting vs till death And yet if we carrie a constant purpose not to sinne and indeauour our selues to resist all tentations this concupiscence of ours shall not be imputed vnto vs nor we condemned for it And to this purpose the holy Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ. Yet saith he not There is nothing worthie condemnation in them for Originall sinne remaines till death truly deseruing damnation though it be not imputed The second kind of sinnes of Toleration are vnknowne and hidden sinnes in the regenerate For who can tell how of the offendeth saith Dauid When a man that is the child of God shall examine his heart and humble himselfe euen for
doing of that which is vnlawfull to be done and that this is equall in all men that sinne and therfore by consequent offences are equall I answer that in euery sinne men must not consider the vnlawfulnesse thereof onely but the reason why it should be vnlawfull and that is properly because it a breach of Gods law and repugnant to his will reuealed in his word Nowe there is no breach of a diuine Law but it is more or lesse repugnant vnto the will of the Lawgiuer God himselfe And many transgressions are more repugnant thereunto then fewer for the more sin is increased the more is the wrath of God inflamed against the sinner vpon his due desert If it be said again that the nature of Sinne stands onely in this that the sinner makes an aberration from the scope or marke that is set before him and doth no more then passe the bondes of duty prescribed by God and that all are alike in this respect The answer is that it is a falshood to affirme that he which makes the lesse aberration from the dutie commanded is equall in offence to him that makes the greater For the same sinne for substance hath sundrie steppes and degrees in respect whereof one man becommeth a more heinous offender then another for example in the seauenth commandement when God forbiddes the committing of Adulterie he forbiddeth three degrees of the same sinne to wit adulterie of the heart consisting of inordinate and vncleane affections adulterie of the tongue in corrupt dishonest and vnseemely speeches and the very act of vncleannesse and filthinesse committed by the bodie Nowe it cannot be said that he which breakes this commandement onely in the first degree is as great a transgressour as he that hath proceeded to the second and so to the third And therefore it remaines for an vndoubred trueth that Sinnes committed against the Law of God are not equall but some lesser some greater The second way to aggrauate sinne is by addition of sinne to sinne and that is done sundry waies first by committing one sinne in the necke of another as Dauid sinned when he added murther to adulterie Secondly by doubling and multiplying of sinne that is by falling often into the same sinne Thirdly by lying in sinne without repentance And here it must be remembred that men of yeares liuing in the Church are not simply condemned for their particular sinnes but for their continuance and residence in them Sinnes committed make men worthie of damnation but liuing and abiding in them without repentance is the thing that brings damnation For as in the militant Church men are excommunicate not so much for their offence as for their obstinacie so shall it be in the Church triumphant the kingdome of heauen shall be barred against men not so much for their sinne committed as for their lying therein without repentance And this is the manner of Gods dealing with those that haue liued within the precincts of the Church they shall be condemned for the very want of true faith and repentance This should admonish euery one of vs to take heed least we lie in any sinâ— and that beeing any way ouertaken we should speedily repent least we aggrauate our sinne by continuance therein and so bring vpon our selues swift damnation Thirdly the same sinne is made greater or lesser 4. waies according to the number of degrees in the committing of a sinne noted by S. Iames Temptation Conception Birth and Perfection Actuall sinne in the first degree of tentation is when the minde vpon some sudden motion is drawne away to thinke euill and withall is tick led with some delight therein For a bad motioÌ„ cast into the minde by the flesh and the deuill is like vnto the baite cast into the water that allureth and delighteth the fish and causeth it to bite Sinne in conception is when with the delight of the minde there goes consent of will to doe the euill thought on Sinne in birth is when it comes forth into action or execution Sinne in perfection when men are growne to a custome and habit in sinne vpon long practise For the often committing of one and the same sinne leaues an euill impression in the heart that is a strong or violent inclination to that or any other euill as hath bin taught before And sinne thus made perfect brings forth death for custome in sinning brings hardnes of heart hardnes of heart impenitencie and impenitencie coÌ„demnation Now of these degrees the first is the least and the last is the greatest One and the same sinne is lesser in tentation then in conception and lesâ—e in conception then in birth and greater in perfection then in all the former Sundry other Distinctions there are of sinnes as namely That the maine sinnes of the first Table are greater then the maine sinnes of the second Table And yet the maine sinnes of the second are greater then the breach of ceremoniall duties against the first table But this which hath beene said shall suffice The vse of this doctrine is manifold First by it we learne what the heart of man is by nature namely a corrupt and vncleane fountaine out of which issueth in the course of this life the streams of corruptions infinite in number noysome in qualities hainous in degrees daÌ„gerous in effects For from thence doe flow all the differences of sins before named with their seuerall branches and infinit many more that cannot be rehearsed This must mooue vs humbly to sue vnto God earnestly to intreat him to wash vs throughly from our wickednes clense vs froÌ„ our sins yea to purge and to rinse the fountaine thereof our vncleane and polluted hearts And when by Gods mercy in Christ appreheÌ„ded by faith our hearts shal be purified then to set watch ward ouer them and to keep them with all diligence Secondly it teacheth vs that miserable mortall man is not guiltie of one or more sins but of many sundrie corruptions both of heart and life Who can vnderstaÌ„d his faults saith Dauid Now the alowaÌ„ce of sin being death by gods ordinaÌ„ce God being iustice it selfe answerably to the number of our offences must we needs be lyable to many punishments yea to death it selfe both of the bodie and of the soule This beeing our wofull estate litle cause is there that any man should thinke himselfe to be in good case or presume of Gods mercie in regard of the small number of his sinnes And much lesse cause hath he falsely to imagine with the Popish sort that he can merit the fauour of God by any worke done by him aboue that which the Law requireth considering that it is impossible for him to knowe either the number or the nature or the measure of his sinnes Lastly the consideration of this point must be a barre to keepe vs in that we be not too secure or presumptuous of our owne estate for as much as we learne out of
serueth to no other purpose in the time of temptation but to plunge the heart of man into the pitte of despaire it being vncapable of comfort for want of knowledge and vnderstanding of the word and promise of God II. That euery man ought to stand in feare and doubt of the pardon of his sinnes and that no man can be assured by the certentie of faith either of the present fauour of God or of his owne saluation True it is that in respect of our owne vnworthines and indisposition we haue iust cause not onely to doubt and feare but to despaire and be confounded before the iudgement seat of God Yet that a man should not be certainely resolued by faith of the mercie of God in and for the merit of Christ is a comfortlesse doctrine to a distressed soule and contrarie vnto the sauing word of the Gospel which teacheth that certentie floweth from the nature of faith and not doubting III. That every man is bound in conscience vpon paine of damnation to make speciall confession of his mortall sinnes with all the particular circumstances thereof once euery yeare to his Priest This doctrine and practise besides that it hath no warrant of sacred writte nor yet any ground of Orthodoxe antiquitie for 800 yeares more or lesse after Christ iâ— maketh notably to the disturbing of the peace of conscience in time of extremitie considering that it is impossible either to vnderstand or remember all many beeing vnknowne and hidden and the minde beeing informed that forgiuenesse dependeth vpon such an enumeration may thus be brought into doubt and distrust and will not be able to rest by faith in the sole mercie of God the onely soueraigne medicine of the soule Againe the griefe of the minde doth not alwaies arise from all the sinnes that a man hath committed neither doth the Lord seâ— before the sinners eies whatsoeuer euill hath bin done by him but some one or more particulars and these are they that doe lie heauie vpon the heart and to be eased of them will be worke enough though â—e doth not exhibite vnto the Confessour a Catalogue of all the rest IV. That some sinnes are veniall because they are only besides the lawe of God not against it and because they â—inâ—â—â—uer the sinner onely to temporal and not to eternall punishments This conclusion first is false For though it be graunted that some offences are greater some lesser some in an higher degree others in a lower againe that sinnes in regard of the euent beeing repented of or in respect of the person sinning beeing in Christ and therfore accounted iust are pardonable because they are not imputed to condemnation yet there is no sin of what degree soeuer which is not simply and of it selfe mortall whether we respect the nature of the sinne or the measure proportion of diuine iustice For in nature it is an anomie that is to say an aberration from the perfect rule of righteousnesse and therefore is subiect to the curse both of temporary and eternall death It is an offence against the highest Maiestie and consequently man standeth by it ingaged to euerlasting torment Secondly it is a weake and insufficient ground of resolution vnto a troubled conscience For whereas true and sauing ioy is the daughter of sorrowe and the heart of man cannot be lifted vp in assurance of Gods fauour to the apprehension and conceipt of heauenly comforts vnlesse it be first abased by true humiliatioÌ„ brought to nothing in it self The remembrance of this that the offence committed is veniall may in some cases too much inlarge the heart and giue occasion to presume when haply there will be reason to the contrary And if not that yet in the case of falling by infirmitie after grace receiued the mind beeing forestalled with this erronious conceipt that the sin is lesse then it is indeede because veniall may in the issue be lesse quieted and more perplexed V. That a man may satisfie the iustice of the God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes committed To omit the vntrueth of this position howe it maketh to the easing of the heart or the asswaging of the griefe of minde in temptation I appeale to common experience For when a man beeing assured of the pardon of his sinnes shall yet coÌ„sider that there is something more behind to be done on his part how can he in probabilitie rely himselfe wholly vpon Christs satisfaction How can he reape vnto himselfe froÌ„ thence any assurance of reconciliation to God whome he formerly offended If we may and must doe something in our own persons whereby to appease the wrath of God why hath our Sauiour taught vs for our hearts releife wholly and onely to make the plea of pardon for our sinnes True it is indeede that Popish Confessors doe teach their Penitents when they feele the wrath of god vpon them for sin to stop the mouth of Conscience by performance of a formall humiliation and repentance yea to offer vnto God some ceremoniall duties in way of satisfaction But when sorrow seazeth vpon the soule and the man falls into temptation then it will appeare that these directions were not currant for notwithstanding them he may want sound comfort in Gods mercy and run into despaire without recouerie And for this cause vpon experience it hath bin prooued that euen Papists themselues in the houre of death haue bin content to renounce their owne workes yea the whole body of humane satifactions and to cleaue onely to the mercie of God in Christ for their saluation By these instances and many more that might be alleadged to this purpose it is apparent vpon how weake and vnstable grounds the Case-diuinitie of the Popish Church standeth and how indirect a course they take for the resolution and direction of the troubled Conscience Now by the benefit abuse of this Doctrine we see how necessary it is that in Churches which professe Christian religion it should be more taught further inlarged then it is And to this purpose it were to be wished that men of knowledge in the Ministerie that haue by the grace of God attained vnto the Tongue of the learned would imploy their paines this way not onely in searching into the depth of such points as stand in bare speculation but in annexing thereunto the grounds and conclusions of practise whereby they might both informe the iudgement and rectifie the conscience of the hearers By this meanes it would come to passe that the poore distressed soule might be releeued pietie and deuotion more practized the kingdome of Sinne Satan and Antichrist weakened impayred the contrarie kingdome of Christ Iesus more more established What the Author coÌ„triuer of the discourse ensuing hath done in this behalfe it is euident by the whole course of his writings that he hath left behinde him all which as they doe openly shew vnto the world howe great a measure of knowledge
all things created Created goodnes is that whereby the creature is made good and it is nothing else but the fruit of that goodnesse that is essentially in God Now the degrees therof are these There is a generall or naturall goodnesse in creatures and a more speciall or morall goodnesse Generall goodnesse is that whereby all creatures are accepted and approoued of God by whome they were both created and ordained Thus euery creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sunne the Moone the Earth Water Meate Drinke c. is good hauing the beeing thereof frō God Hence also the essentiall properties quantities qualities motions actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselues considered with all their euents are good By the same generall goodnesse also euen the Deuill himself and his actions as he is a substance and as they are actions hauing their beeing from God are good Things againe doe take vnto them the condition of goodnesse not onely by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certen vses and endes Thus the euil Conscience Hel Death are good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his iustice howsoeuer in themselues and to vs they be euill Besides this generall and naturall goodnesse there is also a speciall or morall goodnesse properly so called and it is that which is agreeable to the eternall and vnchangeable wisdome of God reuealed in the morall lawe wherein it is commaunded and things as they are therein commanded to be done by God are good morally Nowe of actions morally good there be two degrees for they are either good in themselues alone or good both in thēselues and in the doer In themselues alone some things be morally good for example when a wicked man giues almes it is a good worke onely in it selfe but not good in the doer because it is not done in saith and from a good conscience and so are all the vertues of the Heathen morally good in themselues but they are not good in heathen mē for in them they are but beautifull sinnes The next degree of goodnesse is whereby things and actions are both good in thēselues and in the doer also Of this sort were the praiers almes of Cornelius good in themselues in him also because he was a beleeuer Now opposite to things and actonis morally good or euill are actions and things of a middle nature commonly tearmed Indifferent which in themselues beeing neither good nor euill may be done or not done without sinne In themselues I say for in their circumstances they are and may be made either euill or good And here we must remember to put a difference betweene conueniencie and inconuenience which ariseth from the nature of indifferent things Conueniencie is when a thing or action is so fitted to the circumstances and the circumstances fitted to it that thereby it becomes a thing Conuenient On the otherside Inconuenience is when the thing or action is done in vnmeete circumstances which bring some hurt or losse to the outward man or stand not with decencie and therefore doe make it to be Inconuenient And by this that hath beene said we may discerne when an action is good euill indifferent conuenient or inconuenient The third Ground is touching the degrees or differences of Sinne. And here we must first of all search what is sinne properly and what is properly a sinner Sinne in his proper nature as S. Iohn saith is an anomie that is a want of conformitie to the law of God For the better vnderstanding whereof we must know that there were in Adam before his fall three things not to be seuered one from the other the Substance of his bodie and of his soule the Faculties and powers of his bodie and soule and the Image of God consisting in a straightnes and conformitie of all the affections and powers of man to Gods will Nowe when Adam falls and sinnes against God what is his sinne Not the want of the two former for they both remained but the very want and absence of the third thing namely of conformitie to Gods will I make it plaine by this resemblance In a musicall instrument there is to be considered not onely the instrument it selfe and the sound of the instrument but also the harmonie in the sound Nowe the contrarie to harmonie or the disorder in musicke is none of the two former but the third namely the discord which is the want or absence of harmonie which we call disharmonie In the same manner the sinne of Adam is not the absence either of the substance or of the faculties of the soule and the bodie but the want of the third thing before named that is conformitie or correspondencie to the will of God in regard of obedience But some may say the want of conformitie in the powers of the soule is not sinne properly because in sinne there must be not onely an absence of goodnesse but an habite or presence of euill I answer that this very want of conformitie is not onely the absence of goodnesse but also the habite or presence of euill For as this want enters in and is receiued into mans nature it is properly a want or absence of goodnesse againe after it is receiued into the nature of man it continues and abides in the powers and faculties thereof and so it caries the name of an habit It may be said againe that lust and concupiscence that is Originall sinne drawes the heart away from the seruice of God and entises it to euill Now to entise or drawe away is an action and this action cannot proceede of a meere priuation or want Ans. We must consider sinne two waies first ioyntly with the thing or subiect in which it is secondly by it selfe in his owne nature If we consider it with his subiect it is an euill inclination or action but if we consider it in it owne nature it is no inclination or action but a want For example in a murther we must consider two things one is the action of moouing the bodie and of holding vp the weapon c. which is no sinne properly if it be considered as an action because euery action comes from God who is the first cause of all things and actions Againe in murther there is a second thing namely the killing or slaying of the man which is the disorder or aberration in the action whereby it is disposed to a wrong vse and end and thus the action is a sinne namely in respect it wants conformitie to the will of God The nature then of the sinne lies not in the action but in the manner of doing the action and sinne properly is nothing formally subsisting or existing for then God should be the author of it in as much as he is the creatour and ordainer of euery thing and action
because he wil not leaue sinne which he loueth nor forsake the euill trade of life wherein he delighteth This is the sinne of those whereof Iob speaketh who say vnto God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies And of whome Dauid complaineth that they flatter them selues in their owne eyes and haue left off to vnderstand and to doe good This ignorance is damnable and deuillish it excuseth no man but doth rather aggrauate and increase his sinne yea it is the mother of many grieuous enormities Againe Ignorance is twofold of the Law or of the thing the Law requireth Ignorance of the Law is when a man knowes not the law of God written nor the law of nature This ignorance may somewhat lessen the sinne but it excuseth no man because it is naturall and euery man is bound to know the Law Ignorance of the thing the law requireth is the ignorance of the fact and that is either with the fault of the doer or without the fault Faultie ignorance is the ignorance of a fact which he might haue preuented As wheÌ„ a man in his drunkennes killeth another in this fact not knowing what he doth he also knoweth not that he hath offended and yet because he might haue preuented his drunkennes therefore he is faultie and sinneth Faultlesse ignorance is when a fact is done which could not be either knowne or auoided before hand For example if a man be lopping a tree and his axe head fall from the helue out of his hand and kills another passing by here is indeede manslaughter but no voluntarie murther because it was a thing that could not be auoided and did not fall out through his default And this ignorance is excusable The second fountaine of sinne is the Will from whence arise these three differences of sinnes some are from the will immediatly some besides the will and some are mixt partly with the will and partly against the will Sinnes proceeding from the will are properly tearmed voluntarie such as the doer mooued by his owne will commits though he know them to be euill And here the more free the will is the greater is the sinne for wil added to knowledge makes the sinne the greater Vnder voluntarie sinnes are comprehended all such as proceede from stirred affections as when a man tells a lie for feare or striketh another in anger and the reason is because these offences though they are not done vpon deliberation but arise from the violence of affection yet they doe not exclude Consent Hither also we may referre sinnes coÌ„mitted by compulsion as when a man is forced to denie his religion his offence in deede and in truth is voluntarie though some otherwise thinke it to be a mixt action For compulsion doth not reach to the will but to the outward man and serues to draw forth a consent and when consent is yeelded he denies his religion voluntarily for the will cannot be constrained In the next place sinnes beside the will are such as are neither directly from the will nor against it Of this sort are the first sudden motions vnto sinne conceiued in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight and these are truly sinnes though in respect little sinnes condemned in the last commandement And they are not from the will because they go without and before consent neither yet are they against the will because then the heart would not take delight in them Here by the way we are to note against the doctrine of the Papists that all sinnes are not voluntarie for whatsoeuer wanteth conformitie to the law of God it is sinne whether it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights arise suddenly in the heart of man which are not according to the law of God and haue no consent or approbation of will In like manner when one man kills another thinking that he killeth a wild beast if the same man remembreth after wards what he hath done and is not grieued for the fact in this case he hath sinned because his not grieuing is offensiue vnto God though the fact were meerely besides his will Mixt Sinnes are partly from the will partly against it Of this sort are the workes of the man regenerate which are done partly with his will and partly against his will beeing partly good and partly euill The reason hereof is this There are in man after regeneration two contrarie grounds or beginnings of actions to wit naturall corruption or the inclination of the minde will and affections to that which is against the Law called the Flesh and a created qualitie of holines wrought in the said faculties by the holy Ghost tearmed the Spirit And these two are not seuered but ioyned and mingled together in all the faculties and powers of the soule Now betweene these there is a continuall combate corruption fighting against grace grace against corruption Hence it is that there beeing eueÌ„ in one the same will coÌ„trarie inclinations there must necessarily flow from the man regenerate contrary actions the flesh in euery action willing that which is euill and the Spirit on the otherside that which is good This Paul confessed and acknowledged vpon his owne experience after his conuersion when he said To will is present with me but I find no meanes perfectly to doe that which is good Again I delight in the law of God concerning the inner man but I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The third Ground or fountaine of sinne in man is Affection froÌ„ whence doe proceede two kinds namely sinnes of Infirmitie and sinnes of Presumption Sinnes of Infirmitie are such as proceede from the sudden passions of the mind and the strong affections of the heart as from hatred griefe anger sorrow and such like These sinnes are coÌ„monly thought to be in all men but the truth is they are properly incident to the regenerate For infirmitie cannot be said properly to be in them in whome sinne hath firmitie or strength and where is no power of grace at all Againe the man that is regenerate sinneth not either when he would because he is restrained by the grace of God that is in him or in what manner he would partly because he sinneth not with all his heart the strength of his flesh beeing abated by the Spirit and partly for that beeing fallen he lies not stil but recouers himselfe by speedy repentaÌ„ce An euident argument that the sins whereinto he falleth are not presumptuous but arise ordinarily of weaknes and infirmitie Sinnes of Presumption are such as proceede froÌ„ pride arrogancy wilfulnes and hauâ—nes of mans heart Against these Dauid praieth saying Let not presumptuous sinnes haue dominion ouer me And of them there be three degrees The first is when a man wilfully goeth on in his sinnes
rebuking his sonnes and thereby brought a temporall iudgement vpon himselfe and his familie 1. Sam. 2. chap. and 4. Eightly by participation Eph. 5. 7. thus they do sin that are receiuers of theeues Ninthly by defending another man in his sinne for he that iustifieth the wicked and condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. The Ninth distinction followeth Some mens sinnes saith Paul are open before hand some follow after Which place by some is expounded thus Some mens sinnes are kept secret till the last iudgement and some are reuealed in this life before that day This I thinke is a truth but not the meaning of the text For in the 23. verse the Apostle spake of Ordination giuing charge to Timothie that he should not suddenly admit any into Ecclesiasticall offices least he did partake with their sinnes Now in this 24. verse he rendereth a reason thereof saying Some mens sinnes are open before hand that is some mens faults and wants are knowne before their ordination to Ecclesiasticall offices and of such the Church may know what to iudge and say But some againe follow after that is they are not reuealed till after their ordination and thus Iudas his wickednes did not appeare at the first but was reuealed after he was called to be an Apostle And thus we see what be the Differences of Sinnes touching all which this must be held and remembred for a Ground That euery sinne in what degree so euer it be is mortall of it selfe and no sinne is veniall in it owne nature For the â—ages of euery sinne is death Rom. 6. 23. And Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them Gal. 3. 10. This Ground must be holden against the Church of Rome who in her Case-diuinitie vseth to pacifie the conscience by teaching men that sundrie of their sins be veniall And though euery sinne of it selfe be mortall yet all are not equally mortall but some more some lesse because in sinne there be sundrie degrees as hath beene in part shewed Againe the same sinne may be encreased or lessened and consequently made more or lesse hainous sundrie waies First by the Circumstances which are principally seauen The first is the subject or person sinning Thus the sin of a publike person is more beinous yea more mortall then the sinne of a priuate man because he is in eminent place and his actions are more exemplarie and scandalous then are the actions of inferiour men The seruant that knowes his masters will if he doth it not is the greater sinner and shall endure a greater punishment then he that neglectes the same vpon simple ignorance Matth. 10. 15. The Minister and dispenser of the word if he be vnfaithfull and vnprofitable his offence and consequently his punishment is farre greater then other mens Matth. 5. 13. The second is the obiect or partie which is offended thus the Iewes did more heinously sinne in crucifying Christ the sonne of God the Lord of glorie then did their fathers which persequuted and killed the Prophets The iniurie that is done vnto those whome God tenderly loueth is farre more displeasing vnto him theÌ„ if it were done to others He that toucheth you saies the Prophet meaning the Iewes his chosen beloued people toucheth the apple of his eie Zach. 28. The man that deniseth mischiefe against his harmelesse brother that dwelleth peaceably by him committeth a sinne most odious vnto God and man Prov. 3 29. Psal. 7. 4. He that is called and conuerted vnto God and Christ and maketh not honest prouision for his owne which are of his familie is so notorious an offendour that S. Paul holds him a denier of the faith and worse then an Infidell 1. Tim. 5. 8. The person that shall raile vpon the Iudge or speake euill of the Ruler of his people is a greater transgressour of Gods commandement then he that reuileth or abuseth an ordinarie man Exod. 22. 28. The third is the Thing done in which the offence is committed Thus to falsifie the word of God and to prophane his worshippe and Seruice is much more abominable in his sight then is the falsifying of the word of a man or the abuse of humane lawes and ordinances The hurting and indamaging of the person and life of our neighbour is a more odious offence then is the diminishing of his goods and outward estate and the hurt that redoundeth by our default vnto his soule is more offensiue euery way then the wrong that is offered vnto his bodie The fourth is the place where it is done According to this Circumstance if a man shall either speake or doe any thing that comes vnder the name of a breach of pietie or iustice in publike place as in the congregation in open court or generall assembly and that with publike and generall scandall he is a greater offendour then if he spake or did the same at home in his house or closet The fist is the End in respect whereof he that stealeth from another that whereby he may satisfie his hunger and saue his life beeing driuen to extreame necessitie offendeth in a lower and lesser degree then the theefe that robbeth by the high way side for this ende to enrich himselfe by the losses of other men The sixt is the Manner how Thus he that committeth vncleannesse in the outward act doeth more grieuously sinne and with greater scandall then if he onely entertained an vncleane thought into his heart And he that sinneth of set purpose and presumption or of obstinate and resolued malice against God hath proceeded vnto a higher degree of iniquitie then if he had fallen vpon ignorance infirmitie or disordered and distempered affection In like manner the sinne of the Iewes in forcing Pilate by their threatning tearmes as that he was an enemie to Caesar c. to the vniust condemnatioÌ„ of Christ Iesus was in a higher degree then the sinne of Pilate himselfe who yeilding vnto their importunitie pronounced sentence against him Ioh. 19. 11. The last is the Time which also serues to aggrauate the sinne For ordinarie disobedience in the time of grace and wilfull neglect of gods calling in the aboundance of meanes is a great deale more damnable then the coÌ„mission of sin in the daies of ignoraÌ„ce and blindnesse wheÌ„ the like means are wanting Now from this doctrine of the increasing and lessening of Sin in these respects we may gather that all sins are not alike or equall as the Stoicks of ancient times and their followers haue falsely imagined For it hath bin prooued at large by induction of sundrie particulars that there are degrees of sinnes some lesser some greater some more offensiue and odious to God man some lesse And that the circuÌ„stances of time place person and manner of doing doe serue to enlarge or extenuate the sinne committed If it be here alleadged that Sin is nothing but the
the word of God that in respect of the multitude of our corruptions this our life is full of much euill and many difficulties that we haue whole armies of enemies to encounter withall not only out of vs in the world abroad but within vs lurking euen in our owne flesh And vpon this consideration that we should be at continuall defiance with them vsing all holy meanes to get the victorie ouer them by the daily exercises of inuocation and repentance and by a continuall practise of new obedience vnto all the lawes and commandements of God according to the measure of grace receiued And so much of the third Ground The fourth and last Ground is touching the subiection power of Conscience Conscience is a knowledge ioyned with a knowledge For by conscience we knowe what we know and by it we knowe that thing of our selues which God knoweth of vs. The naturall condition of euery mans conscience is this that it is placed in the middle betweene man and God vnder God and aboue man And this naturall condition hath two parts the one is the subiection of conscience to God and his word the second is a power whereby the conscience is ouer the man to vrge and binde him Of the first we haue this rule that God alone by his word doeth onely binde conscience properly for he is the onely Lord of the conscience which created it and gouerns it He againe is the onely lawe-giuer that hath power to saue or destroy the soule for the keeping and breaking of his Lawes Iam. 4. 12. Againe mans conscience is knowne to none but to God and it is he onely that giues libertie to the conscience in regard of his owne lawes Vpon this it followeth that no mans commandement or Lawe can of it selfe and by it owne soueraigne power binde conscience but doeth it onely by the authoritie and vertue of the written word of God or some part thereof Nowe the Power of conscience appeares in Pauls rule Whatsoeuer is not of faith that is whatsoeuer man doeth whereof he is not certainly perswaded in iudgement and conscience out of Gods word it is sinne More plainely a thing may be said not to be done of faith two waies First when it is done with a doubting and vnresolued conscience as in those that are weake in knowledg Of which sort were some in the Primitiue Church who notwithstanding they heard of the doctâ—ine of Christian libertie yet they were of opinion that after Christs ascension there was a difference to be made of meats and therevpon thought they might not eat of some kind of meats Suppose now that these persons by accident should haue bin drawne to eate swines flesh which themselues had holden a thing forbidden these men vpon this very fact haue sinned because that which they did was vpon an vnresolued conscience Secondly when a thing is done vpon an erronious conscience it is done not of faith and therefore a sinne The reason is because the conscience though it erre and be deceiued yet it bindeth so sarre forth as that if a man iudge a thing to be euill either simply or in some respect though falsely and yet afterward doeth it he hath sinned and offended the Maiestie of God as much as in him lieâ—h THus much touching the Preambles or Groundes of this doctrine Nowe it remaineth that we come to the Questions of Conscience These Questions may be fitly deuided according to the matter or subiect of them which is Man Now as Man is considered diuers waies that is to say either apart by himselfe or as he standes in relation to another and is a member of a Societie so the Questions of Conscience are to be distinguished some concerning man simply considered by himselfe some againe as he stands in relation to another MaÌ„ staÌ„deth in a twofold relatioÌ„ to God or to MaÌ„ As he staÌ„ds in relatioÌ„ to man he is a part of a bodie and a member of some societie Nowe the Questions that concerne him as a member of a societie are of three sorts according to the three distinct kinds of societies For euery maÌ„ is either a member of a Family or of the Church or of the CoÌ„monwealth And answerably some QuestioÌ„s concerne man as a member of a family some as he is a meÌ„ber of the Church some as he is a member of the Commonwealth In a word therfore all QuestioÌ„s touching maÌ„ may be reduced to 3. generall heads The first wherof is concerning man simply considered as he is a man The secoÌ„d touching man as he staÌ„ds in relatioÌ„ to God The third concerning him as he is a member of one of the three societies that is either of the Family or of the Church or of the Commonwealth QVestions of the first sort as man is a Christian are especially three The first What a man must doe that he may come into the fauour of God and be saued The second Howe he may be assured in conscience of his owne saluation The third Howe he may recouer himselfe when he is distressed or fallen I. Question What must a man doe that he may come into Gods fauour and be saued FOr answer to this question some Ground must be laid down before hand For it is to be considered and remembred in the first place how and by what meanes God that saueth brings a man to saluation In the working and effecting of our saluation there are two speciall works of God the giuing of the first grace and after that the giuing of the second The former of these two workes hath X. seuerall actions I. God giues man the outward meanes of saluation specially the Ministerie of the word and with it he sends some outward crosse to breake and subdue the stubbernnesse of our nature that it may be made plyeable to the will of God II. This done God brings the minde of man to a consideration of the Lawe and therein generally to see what is good and what is euill what is sinne and what is not sinne III. Vpon a serious consideration of the Law he makes a man particularly to see and know his own peculiar and proper sinnes IV. Vpon the sight of sinne he smites the heart with the spirit of feare whereby when man seeth his sinnes he makes him to feare punishment and hell and to dispaire of saluation in regard of any thing in himselfe Now these foure actions are indeed no fruits of grace but are onely workes of preparation going before grace the other actions which follow are effects of grace V. The fift action of grace therefore is to stirre vp the minde to a serious consideration of the promise of saluation propounded and published in the Gospel VI. After this the sixt is to kindle in the heart some seeds ot sparkes of faith that is a will and desire to beleeue and grace to striue against doubting and dispaire Nowe at the same instant when God beginnes to kindle in the heart any sparkes
word when we know meditate vpon the commandements and promises of God This rule is of speciall vse For therfore doe men hatch breed euill thoughts in their hearts because they are not takeÌ„ vp with holy meditations hence it is that the heart of man is made euen a pray vnto the deuill because the word of God is not lodged therein ExcelleÌ„t was the practise of Dauid in this case who kept the word of God in his heart that he mighe not sinne against him The second rule of the keeping of the heart is to establish our thoughts by counsell It is the wisemans aduise in so many words Prou. 20. 18. wherin he would teach vs that it is the property of a worldly wise man in matters of waight not to trust to his own wit but to follow the direction and counsel of wise and skilful men And if this be a sound course in matters of the world much more ought it to be taken in the maine matters of religion and conscience concerning the heart and soule of man And therfore by the law of proportioÌ„ it giues vs direction not once to thinke or conceiue so much as a thought but vpon aduice and direction taken at God and his word Thy testimonies saith Dauid are my delight and my counsellers And what benefit had he by taking such a course surely by the word of God which was his continuall meditation he gat vnderstaÌ„ding he became wiser theÌ„ the ancient it made him to hate al the waies of falshood it kept him from declining from God either to the right hand or to the left The same rule must be practized of vs in the vse of our senses our speeches and actions and then shall the heart be kept cleane and free from these temptations And seeing this temptation is so dangerous fearefull as hath beene said and doeth ostâ—â— befall men our dutie is to make conscience of practising the foresaid rules continually And thus much concerning the third kinde of distresse of conscience The Fourth Distresse of mind is that which ariseth from a mans owne sinnes or rather from some one special sinne committed And this kind of tentation is twofold For either it is more violent and lesse common or lesse violent and more common The violent Distresse of minde shewes it selfe by feares and terrors of the conscience by doubtings of the mercie of God by lamentable and fearefull complaints made to others Nowe Question is mooued Howe this violent distresse of minde arising from our owne sinnes is to be cured Answ. That it may be cured by the blessing of God three things must be done First that particular sinne must be knowne which is the cause of this violent distresse And here we are to know by the way that it is an vsuall thing with the parties thus distressed to dissemble and cloake their sinnes and therefore they will alleadge that their trouble ariseth froÌ„ some euill thoughts from wicked affections and from the corruption of nature whereas commonly men are not distressed in violent manner for euill thoughts affections c but the violent distresse commeth from some actuall and odious sinne or sins done which wound the conscience and are the causes of great distraction of minde and they are many which hauing bin vpon occasion before rehearsed I will not now repeat them Onely this must be remembred that the greater sinnes against the third sixt and seauenth commandements are the maine and proper causes of violent distresses and the more secret these sinnes are the more horrour goeth with them Secondly the particular sinne being known Inquiry must be made as much as possibly may be by signes whether the partie distressed repenteth yea or no. For except he hath repented he cannot be fitted to receiue comfort and vnlesse he be first fitted to receiue comfort he cannot be releiued in Conscience Now if it be found that the partie hath repented then care must be had in the next place that his repentance may be renued for the particular sinne committed Thirdly hauing thus done the comfort must be ministred for the moderating or taking away of the distresse And here remember by the way that the comforts ministred vsually ordinarily must not go alone but be mingled teÌ„pered with some terrors of the Law that being thereby feared with the consideration of sinne and of the wrath of God due vnto the same the comfort may appeare to be the sweeter The ministring whereof in case of this distresse would not be direct and present but by certaine steppes and degrees except onely in the point of death for then a directer course must be vsed These degrees are two First the partie is to be informed of a possibilitie of pardon that is that his sinnes are pardonable and though in themselues they be great and hainous yet by the mercie of God in Christ they may be remitted Nowe put the case that the afflicted apprenhendeth onely the odiousnesse of his sinnes and the wrath of god due to the same and in this fit puts off the pardon from himselfe and cannot be perswaded that his sinne may be forgiuen what then is to be done Ans. Then for the effecting of this first degree certaine grounds are to be laid downe whereupon assurance in that case may be built vp in his heart The first grouÌ„d of possibilitie of pardoÌ„ is That the mercy of god is infinite yea ouer al his works Psal. 145. 9. That the death of Christis of infinite price merit and value before God That God is muchin sparing Isa. 55. 7. That with the Lord is mercie and with him is plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. That Christs satisfaction is not only a price but a couÌ„terprice 1. Tim. 2. 6. able to satisfie for the sinnes of all men yea for them that haue sinned against the Holy Ghost for that sinne is not therefore vnpardonable because the offence thereof is greater then the merit of Christ but because the partie offending neither doth nor can apply the merit of Christ vnto himselfe An ancient father vpon Cains words My punishment is greater then I can beare saith Thou liest Cain for Gods mercie is greater then thy sinnes The mercie of God was very great to Manasses and to Salomon and to many others though they were great offenders The second ground Men of yeares liuing in the Church of God and knowing the doctrine of saluation shall not be condemned simply for their sinnes but for lying in their sinnes Vpon this ground I say that men distressed must be grieued not so much for committing of sinne as for lying and continuing in sinnes committed A third ground It pleaseth God many times to leaue men to themselues and to suffer them to commit some sinne that woundeth consceence It is true and cannot be denied But we must withall remember that sinnes committed doe not vtterly take away grace but rather make it the more to shine and shew it selfe