of sin into that against God against our Neighbours and against our Selves How all sin is against God how said to be against our Neighbours and our Selves The three-fold order which God hath established amongst men The threefold inordinacy in breach of this order making three kindes of sin Sec. 14. What the distinction of sin into that of infirmity of ignorance and of malice From whence this distinction is taken What is the inordinacy of the sensitive appetite what the inordinacy of the understanding what the inordinacy of the will When a sin of infirmity is when a sin of ignorance when a sin of malice Sec. 15. How the sensitive appetite doth beget an inordinacy in the will Which are the sins of infirmity Sec. 16. Why sins of sudden and inordinate passion are said to be sins of infirmity Sec. 17. What passions do excuse wholly from sin and what do not How reason ought to moderate passion Sec. 18. What is the office of the understanding When guilty of that ignorance which is sin and when guilty of those sins which are of ignorance Sec. 19. What ignorance doth not and what ignorance doth make the sin What things a man is capable of knowing but not bound to know what things a man is neither bound to know nor capable of knowing in all these ignorance rather a nescience is not sinful Sec 20. What ignorance doth excuse from sin somewhat excuse not wholly acquit illustrated by instance Sec. 21. When sin cannot be excused by any ignorance what an affected ignorance is and how it aggravates the sin Sec. 22. What ignorance is indirectly voluntary how it self sin yet the sins issuing from it lessened in their guilt and why Sec. 23. How the sin of malice is rightly discern'd How men are said to sin wilfully and against conscience Sec. 24 That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding cleerly prooved Especially from the work of regeneration in which the will is renewed as well as the understanding enlightned Sec. 25. How we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice Sec. 26. What the distinction of sin into that of mortal and venial is no sin venial in its nature and why All sin is directly against not any meerly besides the law which incurring the guilt of eternal death cannot be expiated by temporal punishment Sec. 27. In what all sins are mortal yet not all equal How some sins mortal and some venial from whence we are to take the just weight of sins guilt what the guilt of the least sin without Christ Sec. 28. Though all sin be mortal yet most especially the sin against the Holy Ghost What the sin against the Holy Ghost is not Sec. 29. What it is As in the Pharisees As in Julian Why not now to be discovered by us Sec. 30. Why called the sin against the Holy Ghost why this sin shall not be forgiven Sec. 31. Sins against Conscience lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost How an erroneous conscience entangles in sin but bindes not to what is sinful Sec. 32. An erroneous conscience may somewhat excuse but cannot wholly acquit and why What is the entanglement of an erroneous conscience CHAP. XV. Concerning the State of man fallen Sec. 1. THe original of all mans misery is in original sin and how Sec. 2. Adams disobedience imputed makes lyable to the punishment inflicted which punishment is death Sec. 3. In what this death doth formally consist In what it doth materially consist Sec. 4. This death is spiritual corporal and eternal What this sp ritual death is Sec. 5. What are the relicks of mans primitive estate in the estate of man fallen In respect of his understanding In respect of his will In respect of his conscience and in respect of his affections Sec. 6. The soul in mans fall is whole in its natural essence but spoil'd of its spiritual habits Thereby disabled for any spiritual good Sec. 7. What freedom the will hath lost by the fall and what it retains after the fall What liberty of will remains in the vilest Reprobate or Devil Sec. 8. How God doth turn and incline the wils of men without any forcibly compelling Why the exhortations c. of Gods word are not in vain in respect of the wicked Sec. 9. By multiplying his sin man aggravates his punishment and how in spirituals Sec. 10. What the corporal death and how begun Sec. 11. How and when finished Sec. 12. What the eternal death In its punishment of loss and of sense Sec. 13. What the punishment of loss is Sec 14. What the punishment of sense is Sec. 15. How the punishment of the damned is infinite as well as eternal Sec. 16. That wrath which comes by original sin is aggravated by mans actual transgression the full measure is at the day of judgment and how Sec. 17. The estate of man fallen summarily describ'd No salvation by the law or first covenant of works So that without Redemption by a Mediator Adam and his posterity must inevitably perish in their sin SION'S PROSPECT In it's FIRST VIEW CHAP. I. Concerning the Holy SCRIPTURES SEeing Grace doth not destroy but exalt Nature therefore as the Naturall inclination of the Will becomes subservient unto Charity so doth the Naturall Reason of the Understanding become subservient unto Faith Hence it is Reason arguguing from Scripture for the Scriptures that the holy Scriptures doe not only establish our Faith but also instruct our a 1 Pet. 3 15. Isa 1 18. Eze. 18.25 29. Reason even furnishing us with arguments rationally to prove their Truth to be sacred their Authoritie divine The manner and method of arguing is this Among all the Principles of Naturall Divinity there is none more firm more evident more universall then this That b 1 Ki. 18.21 Act. 17.23 Rom. 1 23 25. God is to be worshipped § 2. The true Knowledge of which God The knowledge of God and his worship by Revelation and right form of whose Worship cannot be had but by some a John 1.18 Deut. 29.29 Revelation whereby he doth manifest himselfe and declare his will as the b 2 Cor. 3.18 2 Cor. 4.6 Glasse of his Divinity and the c Mat. 7.21 Isa 1 10 12. Col 2.23 Mat. 5.9 Rule of his Worship This Revelation either with the Jews or with the Christians Now such a Revelation upon Reason's strictest enquiry is no where to be found but either in the Jewish or the Christian Church The former tells us they have committed to them the d Rom 3.2 chap 9.4 Oracles of God the latter the e Mar. 16.15 1 Cor. 1.17 Gospel of Christ and this Gospel as a f 2 Cor 3 9. Mat. 5.17 Rom. 10 4. 2 Cor. 3 14. Heb 9 10. chap. 10.1 cleerer light in the full complement of those Oracles The Church of the Jewes enquired into by Reason § 3.
have a disposition or purpose to kill another though he knew it were his Father if killing the man he knows him not to be his Father which yet after proves to be his Father it is not the ignorance that shall excuse but the depraved disposition and wicked purpose which shall make guilty of patricide For though ignorance had its Concomitancy with it yet it hath not any efficiency in it and so the malefactor cannot be said to offend out of ignorance but being ignorant For there What an affected ignorance is and how it aggravates the sin when a man will be a Ezek. 12.2 Zech. 7.11 12. 1 Cor. 14.38 ignorant on purpose that he may not suffer controll in his sin but have the greater scope to offend this ignorance is affected and becomes directly b Iob 22.14 2 Pet. 3.5 voluntary because it is wil'd upon design and for ends and therefore doth rather inhance then any way abate the guilt of the sin What ignorance is indirectly voluntary § 22. But that a Hos 4.1.6 1 Cor. 15.34 ignorance which comes by negligence in a sloathfull carelesnesse or through unnecessary imploiments not indevouring to attain that knowledge which a man ought and is able to attain and that ignorance which comes by b Gen. 19.32 33. intemperance in a sottish drunkenness a man being rob'd of his discretion or the use of it such an ignorance is truly though indirectly wilfull seeing he that wils the cause doth indirectly and by consequence will the effect and this ignorance thus wilfull c 2 Thess 1.8 Rom. 8.2 3. becomes it self a sin How it self sin yet the sins which issue from this ignorance d Luke 23.24 Acts 3.17 13.27 are lessened in their guilt having the less of reason and will in their act for seeing the understanding cannot pass a right judgement yet the sins issuing from it lessened in their guilt and why the will cannot be said to give a direct consent so that though the ignorance may be aggravated by circumstances yet is the consequent sin in it self lessened by the ignorance How the sin of malice is rightly discerned § 23. To discern aright what the sin of malice is we must know that though the will be determined by a Psal 142. Prov. 2.11 the understanding in the specification of its object yet hath the will this liberty intire in it self in the exercise of the act freely to chuse what is presented as good and freely to reject what is presented as evill So that though the will doth alwayes follow the last practical judgement of the understanding How men are said to sin wilfully and against conscience yet this last judgement being often after the right judgement and the right judgement first given by the understanding and repuls'd by the will b Exod. 8.10.15 19 28 32. 9.13 14.27 28 34 35 c. 1 Sam. 15.1 2.3 9 11 13 15 18 19 22 c. virtually remaining in the act of sin and even then actually renew'd by the checkes of Conscience men are hereby said to sin winfully on set purpose and against conscience which is the true nature of that we call the sin of malice § 24. That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding clearly proved That the will doth not necessarily follow the right judgement though it doth the last judgement of the understanding is apparent in the Divels reprobate in the sin against the holy Ghost and in sins against conscience And indeed if the will did necessarily follow the right judgment of the understanding Especially from the work of Regeneration the whole work of Regeneration were perfected in the act of illumination and God needed not a 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Thes 5.23 throughly sanctifie fully to enlighten were sufficient for the new birth and the new man But this is altogether dissonant from the truth of Christ which tells us the b Eph. 4.23 24. Phil. 2.13 will is renewed In which the will is renewed as well as the understanding enlightned as well as the c Eph. 1.17 18 Col. 3.10 understanding enlightned in the work of regeneration The d Phil. 1.9.10 11. understanding is enlightned to give a right judgement to the will and the will renewed to follow that right judgment of the understanding to the bringing forth the works of holiness and of righteousness § 25. How we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice By this we may distinguish sins of infirmity from sins of malice In sins of infirmity this a Psal 40.8 Acts 11.23 Gal. 6.1 Matth. 26.33 Luke 22.33 purpose and intention of the heart to please God in all things remains sincere so that though for a time the wil suffer a violation of her integrity an interruption of her resolutions through some b 2 Sam. 11.2.4 inordinate affections c Luke 22.56 c. violent passion or d 1 Chro 21.1 Luke 22.31 32 prevailing temptation yet after a while she returneth to her former good purposes by e Psal 51. Luke 22 61 62 1 Chron. 21.8.17 Prov. 24.16 repentance But in sins of malice the heart is f Jer. 13.23 Psal 10.4 Rom. 3 18. 1 John 3.8 habitually inclined unto wickedness the will is evill disposed in respect of the end There are not any sincere purposes of holiness no true aims at Gods glory and therefore the infection of the sin is the more permanent and destructive to the soul in a g Luke 7.30 Acts 7.51 stronger opposition of the good Spirit of grace in the work of repentance and faith § 26. What the distinction of sin into that of mortal and venial is The last distinction of sin is in respect of the effect into sins * 1 John 5.16 17. mortall and veniall we say in respect of the effect no sin being veniall in its nature For No sin veniall in its nature and why that any sin is pardoned doth denote an a Exod 18.20 Gal. 3.10 act of divine mercy which in b Exod. 34.67 severity rigor of Justice God might have not done But for any sin to be in its nature veniall as expiated by temporall punishment were to destroy this pardoning mercy of God and after temporall punishment to oblige him to an improperly called forgiveness lest he be tax'd with cruelty and injustice All sin is directly against no any meerly besides the law Which incurring the guilt of eternall death cannot be expiated by temporall punishment Yea c Rom. 4.15 1 John 3.4 whereas all sin is directly against not any meerly besides the law and that the violation of Gods eternall law doth incurre a guilt of d Ezek. 18.20 Rom 6.23 1 Cor. 15.56 eternall death There is no sin that can be expiated by temporall punishment but either it must be by e John 1.29
Acts 4.12 13.38 Christs all-sufficient satisfaction or the f Mat. 5.25 26 25.46 Sinners everlasting condemnation Wherfore seeing the poysonous guilt of the least sin is not expelled but by the Soveraign Antidote of Christs blood g Mark 1.15 Acts 20.21 Luke 24.47 Rom. 3.25 through repentance and faith it cannot be that any sin is veniall in its nature but in a respect to Gods mercy and Christs merits in the effect In what all sins are mortal yet not all equal § 27. In this all sins are mortall that by their guilt they meke liable to * Matth. 5.22 eternall death and though all are mortall yet are they not therfore a Ezek. 8.6.13.15 John 19.11 all equall some by their more b Mat. 5.22 11.22 24. Luke 12.47.48 hainous guilt making subject to a more grievous punishment in that death which is eternall How some sins mortall and some veniall That some sins then are said to be mortall and some veniall it is not in the nature but in the effect or rather the event of the sin in relation to the subject which is the sinner to c John 5.24 Rom. 8.1 Acts 13.39 whom through faith and repentance not onely the lesser but the greater sins become venial and d John 3.36 Gal. 5.10 without faith repentance not only the greater but also the lesser sins are mortall so that if we take the weight of sin From whence we are to take the just weight of sins guilt not from the deceitful scales of our own opinions but from the just ballance of the Sanctuary the truth of Gods word we find the least sin to have the greatest guilt so that e Mat 12.36 1 Cor. 4.5 every vain thought What the guilt of the least sin without Ghrist and idle word shal be brought to judgment and whatsoever sin Christ brings to the last judgement shall without Christ bring upon the sinner everlasting punishment § 28. Though all sin be in its nature mortall Though all sins be mortall yet most especially the sin against the Holy Ghost and so to be mortall is common to all sin yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is appropriate to the a 1 John 5.16 sin against the Holy Ghost for its most deadly naure call'd in Scripture the sin unto death which excluding repentance depriveth b Math. 12.32 of forgivenesse even so as never to be forgiven What the sin against the Holy Ghost is not Which sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in any c 2 Kings 21.6 c 24.4 2 Chron. 33.12 13. 1 John 5.16.17 18. particular transgression of Gods Law nor yet in that blasphemy and persecution of Christ and his Gospel which ariseth from ignorance no nor in that Apostasie from the truth d 1 Tim. 1.13 and deniall of Christ which ariseth from e Mat. 26.70 72 74 75. infirmity though all of them sins of a deep die and horrid guilt § 29. But the sin against the Holy Ghost What it is is such a denying and rejecting of Christ as ariseth from malice in an hatred of Him and his Truth contrary to knowledge and conscience opposing and persecuting the Gospel of Christ as an imposture of Satan the power and grace of the Spirit as a work and designment of the Divell thus it was in the a Matth 12.24 c. Luke 19.14 20.13 c. Mark 3.30 John 7.28 Pharisees As in the Pharisees Also to sin against the Holy Ghost is to b Heb. 6.4 5 6 10.26 fall away from the faith of Christ by an universall Apostacy in wilfully denying and maliciously opposing Christ and his Truth yea in a contempt of his Sacrifice and an hatred of his Gospel persecuting his Church with an irreconcilable enmity Thus it was in Julian As in Julian thus in many in the Apostles times and thus in many in these our dayes of whom we cannot Why not now to be discovered by us we may not pass sentence of judgement wanting that so eminent a gift c Acts 5.3.9 8.32 13.10 1 Cor. 12.10 among the primitive Saints namely the discerning of the Spirits Why calâ—d the sin against the Holy Ghost § 30. This sin is said to be against the Holy Ghost in respect of his a Isa 12.2 Ephes 1.17 more immediate Office of illumination not as being any wayes the more eminent person in the Trinity all being b Isai 6.3 Matth. 28.19 coequall in their Unity of Essence and of Glory Seeing then it is the more immediate c 1 Cor. 12.11 Office of the Holy Ghost to illuminate in the truth of Christ a d Acts 7.51 wilfull hatred of Christ and his truth accompanied with a malicious opposition of his illuminating power is properly called a sin against the Holy Ghost and that this sin shall not be forgiven is not because it e Rom. 5.20 exceeds Gods grace Why this sin shall not be forgiven or out-vies Christs merits f Heb. 7.25 but because it excludes g Heb. 6.5 6. the work of Repentance in despightfully opposing the Spirit and rejects the h Heb. 10.26 Sacrifice of Christ in wilfully denying his truth Sins against Conscience lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost § 31. Sins against Conscience they a Psal 19.13 lead the way to this sin against the Holy Ghost Wherefore that this may be prevented those must be avoided avoid we not onely sins against conscience b 1 Tim. 1 19. when enlightned with the truth but also though c Rom. 14.23 seduced with error For that an Erroneous Conscience doth d Tit. 1.15 entangle and fetter in sin How an erroneous conscience entangles in sin but binds not to what is sinful though it doth not oblige or bind to what is sinfull So that he alwayes sins who e Rom. 14.5 23. acts any thing against the dictate of his conscience because the f Rom. 1.14 15. 1 Sam. 24.5 6 dictate of the conscience is by interpretation the precept of God And thereby it is that though the act be materially good yet it cannot be formally so the good is not done well because accompanied with so great an evill a contempt of God in the doing Wherefore whatsoever is good in it selfe if done against conscience though errour judging it to be evill it thereby becomes sin and a sin against Conscience deep in its guilt An erroneous conscience may somewat excuse but cannot wholly acquit § 32. Again the erroneous Conscience may a Acts 26.9 10. Phil 3.6 1 Tim. 1.13 mitigate but cannot make void it may somewhat excuse but cannot wholly acquit from what is sinfull whether it be in omitting what is good supposing it to be evill or in committing what is evill and why misdeeming it to be good Indeed impossible it is that
and man did depend upon the liberty of the will To be immutable by nature is peculiar unto God Sec. 13. Mans fall not to be laid to Gods charge Sec. 14. Illustrated by a fit similitude where man cannot satisfie his reason it is reasonable that he exercise his faith Sec. 15. Gods will was permitted and disposed in mans fall So that as God did not will mans fall so nor was mans fall without Gods will How ordered to his glory and mans good Sect. 16. Why God did neither possitively will nor properly nill mans fall Sec. 17. Why God ordered man to be tempted left him and permitted him to be overcom Adam lost the assistance of God by not seeking it in his prayer what strength Adam had by creation and what he might have had by prayer Sec. 18. Why God cannot be said to be the cause of mans fall why he permits sin CHAP. XII Concerning the Author Cause Nature and Adjuncts of Sin Sec. 1. WHy God cannot be the Author and cause of sin Its first Original in the Devil how by him in Adam Sec. 2. How the fountain and cause of sin is in our selves fallen in Adam how actual sin is brought forth Sec. 3. What those Scriptures intimate in their truth which wicked men wrest to make God the Author of sin in their Blasphemy Sec 4. God restrains from sin doth not prompt to sin The wicked rush into sin when not restrain'd how the same actions are holy in respect of God yet sinful in respect of the wicked Sec 5. It is no excuse to the wicked that they fulfil Gods secret will when they disobey his will revealed and why Sec. 6. God wils the permission not the commission of sin and why Sec. 7. How God is said to harden in sin Sec. 8. What sin is in its privative being what in its proper nature Sec. 9. In the several adjuncts of sin that 1. It is guilt From whence proceeds horror attended with dispair Sec. 10. 2. It s pollution whereby God abhors man and man himself with a confusion of face Sec. 11. 3. It s punishment Gods vindicative Justice diversly exprest Sec. 12. Why the guilt and punishment of sin is infinite How all punishment is equal and how unequal Sec. 13. The duration of punishment is correspondent to the duration of sin and how Sec. 14. How Gods justice doth punish and his mercy pardon sin Penal satisfaction is inconsistent with sins remission God doth not punish man for the sin he forgives him Sec. 15. What is formal punishment and why the afflictions of the godly are not such punishments Sec. 16. To say God punisheth sin with sin is very improper and why Sec. 17. How that which is sinful may be the punishment of sin yet not sin the punishment Sec. 18. How sin and punishment are formally inconsistent Gods wisdom and power in ordering sin and punishment Sec. 19. Punishment the concomitant or consequent of sin but not the same with it CHAP. XIII Concerning Original Sin Sec. 1. WHat original sin is how imputed and inherent The unhappy consequent and effects of both Sec. 2. Original sin doth formally consist in the privation of original righteousness Sec. 3. How we become deprived of original righteousness Why this deprivation is a sin Sec. 4. Why the punishment of Gods with-holding righteousness is no excuse for mans sinful waste and want of it Sec. 5. How we become by nature children of disobedience and children of wrath How proved that we are such Sec. 6. How original sin is a repugnancy to the whole law Sec. 7. The contagion of original sin extends to the persons of all mankind and the parts of the whole man and how Sec. 8. What original corruption is called in Scriptures Sec. 9. The analogy between Christ and Adam in respect of the righteousness and disobedience imputed What ment by that saying The son shall not bear the iniquitie of the father Sec. 10. How original sin is propagated How it remains even in the regenerate How they propagate it to their children Illustrated by apt similitudes Sec. 11. How the children of Beleevers are said to be holy Illustrated by a fit allusion Sec. 12. What is the subject of original sin When the human nature is perfect and when the subject of original sin Sec. 13. How the humane nature in man becomes infected with original Sin Sec. 14. That original sin is propagated by carnal generation appears by its antithesis of spiritual regeneration How propagated by vertue of divine ordination Sec. 15. The sum of what concerns original sin Sec. 16. What concupiscence is as spoken of in sacred Scripture Why seated in the superior as well as in the inferior faculties Sec. 17. From whence concupiscence in its inordinacy is why the sensitive appetite cannot be this concupiscence Sec. 18. What the sensitive appetite in man is and in pure nature how subordinate unto reason thereby specifically distinguished from that in the beasts Sec. 19. Concupiscence in its inordinacy is the issue of mans fall and why wherefore called sin CHAP. XIV Concerning Actual Sin Sec. 1. THe privation of original righteousness is inseparably accompanied with the corruption of original uncleanness What original corruption is to actual sins Sec. 2. What actual sin is what the immediate internal causes of it and how Sec. 3. No inducement whatsoever can cause sin without a conspiracy in the inward man No actual sin committed without the will consenting The will not necessitated in its volition by any power but that of Gods Sec. 4. How one sin is the cause of another Sec. 5. What the least actual sin is Sin is manifold in its kinds All sin is either of omission or of commission and that either in thought in word or in work Sec. 6. What is the formative power in original sin in respect of actual Sins of omission alwaies accompanied with sins of commission Sec. 7. This illustrated by instance He that wils the occasion of sin by consequence wils the sin How sin is willed antecedently in its cause though not directly in its self Sec. 8. Sins of commission and of omission having the same motive and end are not specifically distinct Proved by instances Sec. 9. What the division of sin into that of thought word and work Sec. 10. The first inordinate motions of lust contain'd under the evil thoughts of the heart though not consented to by the will yâ—â— are sin and why What makes any act to be sin How the motions of concupiscence are voluntary through the wils defect before they rise though not consented to when raised how concupiscence it self is voluntary Sec. 11. The motions of concupiscence prov'd to be sinful by an infallible argument drawn from the indifferent nature of the wils consent Sec. 12. What the special distinction of sin into spiritual and carnal is how all sin is carnal and how spiritual What the true difference betwixt both Sec. 13. What the specifical distinction
though grace in the regenerate be powerful enough to d Gal. 5 16 24 suppress these inordinate motions yet that doth not excuse reasons being defective in its duty to prevent them They ought to be kept down by Reasons watchfulness and therefore cannot arise but in sins guilt What makes any act to be sin And whereas it may be pleaded that they are involuntary and so cannot be Sins we say How the motions of concupiscence are voluntary through the wils defect before they rise though not consented to when râ—ised it is e 1 Iohn 3 4. repugnancy to Gods law which makes the sin and that though it be against the wil that these inordinate lustings should be fulfilled yet it is from the will that these lustings in their inordinacy are not prevented the will neglecting or failing in her primitive powerful command to keep under what is rebellious How concupiscence it self is voluntary Besides concupiscence is voluntary as flowing from Adams wilful disobedience For in mortality quod ex voluntario causatur pro voluntario reputatur what is caused by a voluntary act is reputed voluntary in the acting The motions of concupiscence prov'd to be sinful by an infallable argument drawn from the indifferent nature of the wills consent § 11. Further yet That those motions of concupisence are sins when fully consented to by the will doth infallibly prove them to be sinful before the will doth give yea though the will doth not give its full consent For the consent of the will is a thing indifferent in it self neither good nor evil but according to its object If any thing be good it is not the consent of the will that makes it evil and if any thing be evil it is not the consent of the will can make it good but according to the nature of the object such is the act of the will whether it be in good or whether it be in evil wherefore if the first motions of concupiscence were not sinful in themselves they could not be made sins by the consenting of the will But seeing by the confession of all parties they are sin when the will doth give its consent therefore they must be sinful before the consent of the will be given What the Specifical distinction of sin into spiritual and carnal is § 12. Whereas Sin in respect of the Subject is specifically distinguished into spiritual and carnal Sins the distinction is taken from the end a 2 Cor. 7.1 Spiritual Sins being perfected in spiritual delight as pride vain-glory and the like b Rom. 8.1 Gal. 5.19 but carnal Sins in carnal delight How all sin is carnal as gluttony luxury and the like True it is all sin is carnal as arising from the flesh as flesh in Scripture is taken for Original Sin in mans corrupt nature and how Spiritual and all sin is spiritual as affecting the Soul in the commission and defiling the spirit of man with guilt What the true difference betwixt both But when spiritual and carnal Sins are contradistinguished as several and specifical sorts of sin by Spiritual Sins are meant those which affect and defile the soul immediatly in the body by carnall sins are meant those which affect and defile the soul immediatly by the body § 13. Sin in respect of the object What the specifical distinction of sin into that against God against our neighbours and against our selves How all sin is against God How said to be against our neighbours and our selves is specifically distinguished into sins a 1 Sam. 2.25 Luke 15.28 18.2 Acts 24.16 Tit. 2.12 against God against our Neighbour and against our selves For though it is common to all sin that it is against God as being formally a violation b Rom. 4.13 1 John 3.4 Jam. 2.9 of his eternal law and so properly the offence of his sacred Majesty yet sin materially considered in respect of the injury and dammage which accompanies it it may be against mans self or his neighbour Indeed all sins as they are inordinate actions do imply an acting something to the breach of Order The three-fold order which God hath established amongst men And seeing God hath establish'd among men a threefold order there are three kinds of sin according to their three-fold inordinacy The three-fold Order is 1. That of the inferior faculties unto reason in mans naturall constitution 2. That of one man in a politicall constitution unto another 3. That of all men in a religious constitution unto God Now the inordinacy which makes a breach of any of these orders is a sin against God as the c Exod. 20.2 Jam. 2 13. supreme Law-giver but in comparing one with another that sin sin which immediatly breaks the order of Religion as Blasphemy Heresie Infidelity and the like is said The threefold inordinacy in breach of this order making three kinds of sin to be a sin against God Again that sin which immediatly breaks the order of policy as theft oppression murder and the like is said to be a sin against our neighbour Lastly that sin which immediatly breaks the order of Nature in man as drunkenness gluttony and the like is said to be a sin against our selves yea some sins there are at once against our selves and our neighbours as d 1 Cor. 6.18 fornication adultery c. and some against God our neighbours and our selves as the e Rom. 12.19 prosecuting unjust revenge the persecuting Gods Church c. What the distinction of sin into that of infirmity of ignorance and of malice From whence this distinction is taken What is the inordinacy of the sensitive appetite What the inordinacy of the understanding What the inodinacy of the will § 14. That sin in respect of the efficient is distinguish'd into sins of infirmity of ignorance and of malice is taken from the three principles of all actions and so consequently of all actuall sins in man the sensitive appetite understanding and will which as they are the principles of all actions in their natural Beings so are they the principles of all actuall sins in their preternatural inordinacies The inordinacie of the sensitive appetite is in being irregular and immoderate in its affections the inordinacy of the understanding is in not knowing what it ought or in not actually dictating what it habitually knows the inordinacy of the will is in subjecting it self to the sensitive appetite or in following the understanding in its erroneous dictates or in opposing it in its right judgement Now when the will becomes inordinate through the sudden a Gen. 9.21 2 Sam. 11.2 3 4. Matth. 26.70.72 74. surprize and eager importunity of the sensitive appetite When a sin of infirmity is the sin is the sin of infirmity again when the will becomes inordinate through the defect of b Gen. 19.33.35 Lev. 5.17 Lev. 4.2 Psal 19.12 judgement in the understanding