A Guide to Go to God, Petition 5 · Section 115 – Section 116
§. 115. Of the diſtinction of Veniall and mortall ſinnes.
Q. ARe then no ſinnes at all Veniall?
A. The diſtinction of Veniall and mortall ſinnes rightly and wiſely limited, may ſafely be admitted, and that in foure reſpects eſpecially.
1. In regard of the order that God hath by his Word reuealed.
2. In regard of the ſubiect or perſon in whom ſinne is.
3. In compariſon of one ſinne with another.
4. In regard of the Churches manner of proceeding againſt ſinners.
1. Concerning the order which by Gods Word is reuealed, there is an irreuocable Decree paſſed vponupon the ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt, Math. 12. 31.that it ſhall neuer be forgiuen. Heb. 6. 4. &c.—10, 26, &c.Howſoeuer the ſecret Decree of God bee as inuiolable againſt all the ſinnes of eueryevery Reprobate, yet becauſe that determined doome is not reuealed againſt any one ſinne but that, of It onelyonly it is ſaid, There is a ſinne vntounto death. 1. Ioh. 5. 16.The ſinne therefore againſt the Holy Ghoſt is mortall. But in oppoſition to it, Chriſt ſaith, All ſinnes ſhall be forgiuen: Mar. 3. 28.that is, they are remiſſible, pardonable, and in the reſpect veniall.
2. Concerning the ſubiect, or perſon in whom ſinne is, after that by faith the Elect are ingraffed into Chriſt, though ſinne remaine in them, yet is it not imputed to them for condemnation. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt Ieſus. Rom 8. 1.All the ſinnes therefore of true Beleeuers are veniall. They ſhall be pardoned; but all the ſinnes of vnbeleeuers are mortall: they ſhall be puniſhed with euerlaſting damnation.Ioh. 3. 36. The wrath of God abideth on him that beleeueth not. Quaedam peccata mortalia in poenitentia fiunt venialia. Mag. Sentent, lib. 4. diſt. 20.Beſides, the true Beleeuer, though he may fall into many ſinnes, will impenitently lye in no ſinne. So as ſuch ſins as in another would incurre death, and proue mortall, in him by repentance become veniall, and are pardoned.
3. Concerning compariſon of ſinnes, it cannot bee denied that ſome ſinnes are very ſmall, as a by-thought in an holy duty, an idle word, a little tap with the hand; and that other ſinnes are very hainous, as blaſphemie, periurie, murther, adulterie and ſuch like. Therefore comparatiuely ſmaller ſinnes may bee ſtiled veniall, in relation to hainous and notorious ſinnes, which are called mortall, in that they doe more apparantly and more deepely implunge into death and damnation. Thus all Eccleſiaſtical Writers, both ancient and moderne, hauehave vſed this diſtinction.
4. Concerning the Churches manner of proceeding againſt ſinners, many ſinnes doe dayly paſſe from men, which▪ though by Miniſters they be reproued, and Gods iudgements be denounced againſt them, yet paſſe not vnderunder the Churches publike cenſure. Theſe hauehave been called veniall. There are other ſinnes which euen before men ſeeme ſo intollerable, as the Church thinketh not the committers of them worthy to bee admitted to the holy ordinances of God, but denounceth againſt them ſome publike cenſure of ſuſpention, excommunication, or execration and anathema, till publike repentance be manifeſted, and ſatisfaction giuen to the Church. Thus becauſe one of the Church of Corinth had committed ſuch fornication as is not ſo much as named among the Gentiles, 1. Cor. 5. 1▪ 5.Saint Paul deliuered him to Satan. Theſe ſinnes worthy of ſuch cenſure, hauehave been called mortall.
But as our Aduerſaries vſe the diſtinction of veniall and mortall ſinne,Sinne not veni all in its owne nature. it cannot ſtand with the forenamed nature of ſinne, implyed vnderunder this Metaphor Debt. They ſay that many ſinnes areaRhem. annot. on Rom. 1. 32. veniall, becauſe they are pardonable of their owne nature, and not worthy of damnation. They giuegive theſe and ſuch like inſtances of veniall ſinnes: Sudden motions of luſt, bB…llar. de Stat. pecl. 1. cap. 3.anger, and enuie: Immoderate laughter, an idle word, deceit in a ſmall thing, as an halfe-peny, &c. Their great Champian doth thus expreſſe the meaning of their Church in this point:Veniale peccalum ex natura ſua diſtinguiturà mortali, ac ſinc vlla relatione vel ad Praedeſtinationem, vel ad miſcricordiom Dei, vel ad ſtatum ren…lorum, eſt eiuſmodi, vt poenam aeternam non mereatur. Bellar. de Stat. pec. lib. 1. càp. 9. Veniall ſinne is in its owne nature diſtinguiſhed from mortall, and without any reſpect to predeſtination, or to the mercy of God, or to the ſtate of the regenerate, it is of that kinde, as it deſerueth not eternall puniſhment. He inſerteth theſe phraſes (without reſpect to Predeſtination, or to the mercy of God, or to the ſtate of the regenerate) becauſe orthodoxall Diuines hauehave granted that the title veniall, may be applied to ſinne in regard of Gods eternall predeſtination, and purpoſe to pardon ſinne, and in regard of the mercy of God, which is greater then the deſert of ſinne, and in regard of the regenerate, whoſe faith gaineth an abſolution for ſinne. To ſhew therefore, that hee and his hereticall Church, whoſe cauſe hee maintaineth, goeth beyond the limits of all truth, hee reiecteth the fore-named limitations wherein truth is bounded: and will hauehave ventall ſinnes to be of themſelues in their owne nature not worthy of damnation. In their ſence, theſe two termes, Sinne, Veniall, are contradictorie, Sinne is (according to the doctrine of the Scripture) worthy of damnation. V…niall (according to their sence) is not worthy fo damnation. Rom. 6. 23.To ſay therefore that ſinne is veniall, is to ſay that worthy of damnation, is not worthy of damnation. But I demand, are their veniall ſins pleaſing or diſpleaſing to God? one of them they muſt be. A meane cannot bee giuen betwixt theſe two contradictorie termes, which is neither of them. They dare not ſay that veniall ſinnes are pleaſing to God. Then doe they diſpleaſe him. If they diſpleaſe him they offend an infinite goodneſſe, an infinite excellency, an infinite Maieſtie, and in that reſpect are worthy of an infinite puniſhment.
As for their owne inſtances of veniall ſinnes:
1. The ſuddenneſt motions that can be, though no conſent ſhould be yeelded to them, are againſt the firſt and laſt commandements. Beſides, the perfect Law of God is ſpirituall. It requireth integritie in the innermoſt parts, euen in the ſpirits of men The fore-mentioned thoughts are againſt ſpirituall integritie: and in that reſpect againſt the Law: and deſerue the curſe thereof. Yea further the ſecreteſt & ſuddenneſt thoughts, are acts and motions of the ſoule: as manifeſt to God as outward actions of the body. If therefore they be euill, they are in his ſight apparant tranſgreſſions. As for motions to luſt, though neuer ſo ſudden at the very ſight of a woman,Math. 5. 22, 28. Chriſt accounteth them a kinde of adulterie. And motions to anger hee accounteth a kinde of murther. But Adulterie and Murther are againſt the Law, and deſerue the curſe of the Law.
2. Of idle words, Chriſt ſaith,Math. 12. 36. Men ſhall giuegive account at the Day of Iudgement. When the account is taken, ſhall idle words at the barre of that Iudgement be approued, or condemned? To ſay they ſhall be approued, were much to impeach the perfection of Chriſts purity and iuſtice If then they be condemned, eternall death is their due. There is then no other penalty to be inflicted. All ſtanding at that Barre, are pronounced bleſſed, or denounced curſed.
3. For ſtealth of an halfe-penny, doth the Law which ſaith, Thou ſhalt not ſteale, exclude halfe-pennies or no? If no, where is the exception. The words are indefinite, Thou ſhalt not ſteale. He that ſtealeth an halfe-penny, ſtealeth. In ſtealing an halfepeny therefore he is a tranſgreſſor of the Law, and guilty of the penalty and curſe thereof.
To conclude, God ſhall bring eueryevery worke into iudgement, Eccl. 12. 14.with eueryevery ſecret thing whether it be good or euill. The ſmalleſt things that can bee imagined are compriſed vnderunder theſe phraſes eueryevery …orke, eueryevery ſecret thing. If they be brought to iudgement, it is either to be rewarded, or reuenged. If they be good, to be rewarded. For a cup of cold water onelyonly giuen to a Diſciple in the name of a Diſciple ſhall in no wiſe loſe his reward. Math. 10. 42.But if they bee euill, to be reuenged. If at the Day of Iudgement they be reuenged, ſurely the reuenge is eternall death. But veniall ſins are euil, not good. They ſhall therefore be brought into iudgement, condemned, & puniſhed with eternall death. I ſpeake of ſinnes not repented of: not waſhed away by the bloud of Chriſt: of ſinnes as they are in their own nature, in their own deſert. For ſo ſtandeth the controuerſie betwixt vsus and Papiſts.
§.1. Learne to know ſinne. 116. Of duties to be obſerued becauſe euerie ſinne is mortall.
THe knowledge of the nature of eueryevery ſinne,2. Auoid ſinne. and of the due deſert thereof,3. Be not acceſſarie to others ſinnes. ought to make vsus diligent in ſearching into the Law of God, that thereby we may know what is ſinne (foraRom. 3. 20. by the Law is the knowledge of ſinne.) And knowing ſinne, carefully and conſcionably to auoide it: (ForbRom. 6. 23. the wages of ſinne is death: 4. Repent.) And no way make our ſelues acceſſarie to the ſinnes of others (for ſocEzek. 3. 18. we bring the bloud of others vponupon our owne heads.5. Search our ſelues.) And if we hauehave committed ſinne our ſelues, or made our ſelues acceſſarie to the ſinnes of others,6. Get a diſcharge. not to ſooth our conſciences with the ſmalneſſe thereof, and thereupon remaine ſecure,7. Be watchfull. not caring to repent thereof. (dLuke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye ſhall periſh.) To worke the more through repentance we ought throughly to ſearch our ſelues,8. Cōtemne the reproches of preciſeneſſe. and from time to time ſtrictly to e1. Cor. 11. 28.examine our thoughts, words, and actions. And as we diſcerne any tranſgreſſions or alterations in any of them, inſtantly to craue pardon for them. Yea becauſe we cannot be ignorant that many ſinnes vnawares paſſe from vsus, to deſire a generall diſcharge of all other ſinnes (which two points are expreſly noted in this fifth Petition.) As wee craue pardon for all ſinnes paſt, ſo ought we to begIoh. 5. 14. watchfull ouer our ſelues for the time to come, euen ſo watchfull as toh1. Theſ. 5. 22. abſtaine from all appearance of euill: Noti2. Sam. 6. 21, 22 Peccata ignoran tiae vel negligen tiae melius accuſantur vt pereant, quam excuſantur vt maneant. Aug. in Pſal. 105. regarding the common ſcoffes againſt preciſeneſſe, as the world termeth Chriſtian, carefull & conſcionable watchfulneſſe ouer a mans ſelfe. Commonly the wickeder ſort do moſt iuſtifie themſelues:Ipſa leuia non contemnantur. De minutis guttis flumina implentur. Per anguſtas vimulas inſudat aqua, na…is impletur ſentina, & ſi contemnatur ſentina, nauis mergitur. Aug. hom. 42. in lib. 50. Hom. and the vpright moſt iudge themſelues. The vpright vſe to iudge themſelues for their very ignorances and negligences. And ſurely ſinnes of ignorance or negligence, were better be iudged that they may be deſtroyed, then excuſed, that they ſhould be nouriſhed. ForkEccl. 12. 14. eueryevery thing muſt be brought to iudgement: andlMat. 12. 36. of eueryevery idle word that men ſhall ſpeake, they ſhall giuegive an account in the day of iudgement. Let not therefore, the ſmall ſinnes be ſleighted. Floods are made with ſmall drops. Water ſoaketh thorow ſmall chinks, the ſhip is therewith filled, and if the pump be not plied the ſhip is drowned.