Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	distinction_n	mortal_a	venial_a	4,934	5	12.1153	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26615	Protestancy to be embrac'd, or, A new and infallible method to reduce Romanists from popery to Protestancy a treatise of great use to all His Majesties subjects, and necessary to prevent error and popery / by David Abercromby, D., lately converted, after he had profess'd near nineteen years Jesuitism and popery.	Abercromby, David, d. 1701 or 2.	1682 (1682)	Wing A86; ESTC R6382	30,832	174

Jesuits their first vows 't is but with their Lips and not from their Heart They may sin I confess by this dissimulation though I am perswaded their Crime is none of the greatest because of the juncture and necessity of their affairs but however this Sin communicates no validity to their vow which subsists not in reality without an intire liberty freedom and inward consent because of the heavy and insupportable Yoke it lays on their Necks which in this case they may shake off at the first opportunity and follow that sort of Life they shall find most convenient for their Spiritual concerns and good of their Souls 11. I wonder'd often upon what grounds the Romanists call these three vows of Chastity Poverty and Obedience to their Superiors Evangelical Counsels because I had never read in the Gospel that Christ exhorted ever any to tye themselves to his service by solemn vows He counselled I confess a young man to sell all he had and give it to the Poor but not to make a vow to do so Neither could I ever be perswaded nor any rational man ever will that 't is a higher degree of perfection to vow for instance Chastity than to live in Continency without such a tye and obligation 12. This is nevertheless the Doctrine of the most learned Romanists And if I remember well of their chief Divine Thomas Aquinas but as they commonly say in Sorbon Amicus Aristoteles amicus Divus Thomas sed magis amica veritas no man's authority is to be admitted of against the truth which undoubtedly sides not with them in this conjuncture because their assertion is intirely grounded on this weak and illusory reason that he who vows Continency sacrificeth to God the thing men make most account of that precious liberty they think preferable to all the Riches of the World which he that lives chast without such a tye does not 13. This I say is a meer falshood and a flat illusion for though I vow I keep intirely my former liberty True 't is I can't break this promise and vow made to God if it be a real one without committing a sin but this puts me in a worse condition than I was in before For now if I fall I commit two Sins one against my Vow and another against the vertue of Continency whereas before I vowed I could be guilty but of one I think then the state of highest perfection is that which removeth us farthest from sin and the occasions thereof which certainly vows do not but ensnaring men rather because of their great weakness and frailty expose them to both by that perverse though inbred inclination of theirs to whatever is forbidden them for nothing more true than nitimur in vetitum semper c. 14. This engageth me here to the defence of an Assertion which will be looked upon as a Paradox by the Romanists yet if reflected on without preoccupation is a clear simple and undenyable truth They dry up all the veins of their Eloquence in extolling a Religious Life as they call it they say it is most perfect happy blessed and what not read Jerome Platus on this Subject and you shall find him as whimsical in his notions of this imaginary happiness as Plato was in his abstract Idea's 15. I can prove to perswasion there is no way of serving God more dangerous and wherein you shall meet with greater obstacles to your spiritual progress and eternal happiness than in these pretended Religious Orders as they now stand of the Romish Church my reason is clear and runs thus because their yoak is incomparably greater and heavier than that of other Christians since besides the Commands of God and their Church they tye themselves to a numberless number of petty observances and rules which though they confess bind not their conscience yet they teach none of them can scarce ever be transgress'd without sin either ratione scandali by reason of the scandal or ratione contemptus because of the contempt of Authority or on some other account they say as yet something more strange that non progredi regredi est 't is not enough for them to observe the Commands of God and the Church they call that non progredi no progress unless they do more than he has commanded by standing with as great preciseness to their Customs and Rules as if they were an essential part of Gods written Law 15. In what fears then if they have a timorous conscience in what troubles and turmoils and what vexation of spirit they live in for if so few keep Gods Commands as 't is said the Just falls seven times a day what judgment may we frame of them who pretend to do more than he has ordain'd by observing a number innumerable of petty Rules Statutes and frivolous Customs On this account I have heard several amongst them say what I believe to be most true that their yoke was not like to the yoke of Christ sweet and light Jugum suave onus leve but rather exceedingly bitter and most heavy Jugum amarum onus grave 16. In fine I may affirm without deviating from the Truth That these Romish Vows are rather Snares to intrap Souls than true means to their attaining to a higher degree of Glory in Heaven The Devil overcomes some by manifest Temptations and a flat Proposition of Sin but because some others desirous to live after a more perfect manner admit not so easily of his Suggestions he catcheth them by their own inclinations by vowed engagements to the pursuance of a Perfection which through Humane Frailty they shall never reach to so weary to swim always against the water they are forc'd at length to yield to the stream and go downwards which was the Enemies sole aim and main design 17. Out of this foregoing Discourse we may conclude Protestants to be most happy as meeting with none of these forementioned Obstacles to their eternal happiness so long as they follow the Maxims of true Protestancy For First Their Faith is not so blind though submissive enough to Church Authority as to hold for Divine Truths the fanciful Opinions of fallible Men or Decisions of errable Councils The Word of God onely is their Rule to this they are taught to conform their Faith and their Actions Secondly They are not tortur'd and turmoil'd with Doubts if they be Baptiz'd or not because they know the Existency of Baptism to be independant on the Ministers uncertain intentions Thirdly They have no Incitement to Sin by relying on a middle place between Heaven and Hell they hold no Purgatory and so are powerfully deterr'd from offending God through fear of his terrible Justice exercis'd in Hell upon such as die without Repentance Fourthly They reject the dangerous distinction of Venial and Mortal Sin as opening a door to Looseness for though some Sins be more heinous than others yet in this we must confess a perfect equality that they are all offences of an infinite

no more a true one than a bare frivolous and insignificant Ceremony what trouble then and turmoil of Spirit they must needs perpetually wrestle with while Protestants as to this point enjoy a perfect Tranquility holding Baptism independent on the Ministers good or ill will malice or intention provided he pronounce seriously the words and set form of Baptism which we cannot be but sure of 3. I was once eye-witness to the cruel torture of Conscience a Romanist suffered upon a doubt of his Baptism occasion'd by this Romish Doctrine We were in the same Ship together upon Sea press'd by a furious Storm to think on what was our only concern in that conjuncture In the mean time this Gentleman showing by his melancholy looks the inward distemper of his Soul cryes aloud as if he had been beside himself he fear'd to be damn'd I question'd him on what grounds he spoke so rashly because said he I know not whether I be Baptiz'd or not I doubt if the Priest had any such intention when he pronounc'd the words commonly used in Baptism I told him whatever I thought fittest to convince his understanding and quiet his Conscience but could not prevail because he knew the Council of Trent teacheth the Ministers intention to be absolutely necessary to the existency of Baptism 4. On the same grounds they may doubt if their Priests can absolve and be truly Priests because in their perswasion they are no Priests without the intention of the Bishop that ordain'd them which perhaps he had not when he utter'd the set form of Ordination This minds me of a Bishop lately deceas'd in France who confess'd at his last hour he had ordain'd many but ever without intention to ordain any I was intimately acquainted with one ordain'd by the same Prelate and I am fully perswaded if he were advertis'd of this last confession of his he would scruple to continue a moment in the function of Priesthood 5. Who can relish if he hath any sentiment of true Piety what they teach of their Purgatory and purging fires This Doctrine flatters sinners in their imperfections causeth them to live more loosely than otherwise they would do to make little scruple of these sins they call venial and never eternally punish'd On this account they are not so apprehensive of these Everlasting Torments we should ever remember of when we are sollicited to sin if no higher motive can withdraw us from it Hell I say enters not so deeply into their thoughts because they rely on this third place And the worst of them all after an absolution got from a Priest hopes to go to Heaven if not streight at least a little about by Purgatory The Protestants who believe no middle place after death out of Heaven or Hell walk more cautiously fear more God's dreadful but just Judgments certain if they dye in the Lord they shall rest from their labours if in sin they shall be liable to his wrath for ever 6. The Scripture is the true Spiritual book we should still have in our hands Nocturnâ versare manu versare diurnâ Here we are to gather that Spiritual Manna to nourish not our Bodies but our Souls while we travel through the Wilderness of this wild World These sacred Writings are capable to make us wise unto Salvation search the Scriptures saith S. John for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life Yet the Romanists deprive the people of this Spiritual Food forbiding them severely to read the Holy Scriptures as if they were more hurtful than profitable hence 't is they live in a deep ignorance of all true Christian Duty in indifferency and lukewarmness without relish of heavenly things without true devotion which is never more stirred up than when we hear God speaking in the secret of our hearts by the Divine Oracles of his Holy Word 7. They cause the People to contemn or at least to have less veneration for Divine Scriptures by teaching they contain not all things necessary to Salvation they are obscure they are imperfect They seem sometimes to question their Divine Original when they ask how we are sure they are inspir'd by the Holy Ghost as if that were not known to say no more by the Air Majesty and Simplicity of expression proper to God only as we know the Kings Letters and Commands to his Subjects by his Seal and proper expressions none but the King uttering himself after that manner So the Holy Scriptures being as God's Patents and Letters to us we need not enquire from whom they are let us only disclose them and we shall instantly know their Divine Original quasi dei sigillo as by God's own Seal and Characters proper to him only without having recourse to the pretended infallible decisions of General Councils as Romanists do who must run back to the Scriptures again to prove these decisions infallible and so in circuitu ambulant they turn round in a circle without advancing one step But 't is not so much my design to dispute and quarrel with the Romanists as to go on peaceably and in the Spirit of Christian Charity pointing out as with the finger the great Obstacles to perfection they meet with by following blindly the Maxims of Popery I add only here their Prayers in an unknown Tongue unfruitful as S. Paul saith to the understanding is not a small let to Piety and Devotion what Spiritual Consolation can the ignorant sort reap at Mass or as they call it Divine Service by hearing the Priest praying they know not what unless they hold against common sence and reason that ignorance is the Mother of Piety and Devotion 8. Their Doctrine of Transubstantiation is on several accounts dangerous and ensnaring First It destroys all evidence grounded on the experimental knowledge of our senses and makes void the proof Christ made use of to his Apostles in aim to convince them he was not a Spirit Handle me sayes he and see for a spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have which can be no conviction to Romanists who both tast handle and see bread in the Eucharist if they will trust their own senses as our Saviour in a not unlike case desir'd his Disciples to trust to theirs yet deny flatly what they see tast and handle to be Bread against their own and the experience of all men not blind of both eyes Our Saviour's Proof I say that he was not a Spirit shall never influence a Papist to Conviction for though the Apostles could both see and handle our Saviour's Body nevertheless 't is no necessary inference by their Doctrine of Transubstantiation that Christ's Body was there may they not say the Apostles could touch handle and see the appearance only thereof as they handle and see the accidents of Bread and not really Bread in the Eucharist in their opinion of this Sacrament which taketh quite away the force of Christ's argument grounded on the meer Testimony of our senses and favours