The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 1 · Subpart 1 · Section 2
WHAT SINNE IS.
IT is agreed on of all men,The nature of ſinne. that ſinne is a thing diſpleaſing God, contrarie to righteouſnes, & deſeruing puniſhment, as it is ſaid, Pſalm. 5. Thou art not a God that loueth wickednes. As therefore the rule of righteouſnes is the wil of god: ſo of the cōtrary, we are not otherwhere to know what ſinne is, then by the ſame rule of mans life & actions. Therefore the definition of ſin in the 1. Epiſt. of Iohn. cap. 3. is the trueſt and plaineſt: Sinne is a tranſgreſſion of the Law: or, what ſoeuer is repugnant to the Law. But becauſe here mens mindes ſeeke further, what thoſe euils are, which are forbidden and condemned by the law of God: we muſt adde an explication of this definition out of the Sermons and declarations of the Law ſcattered throughout the whole Scripture: to wit, That ſinne is a defect, or an inclination, or action repugnant to the law of God, offending God, & making him that ſinneth togither with al his poſterity, guiltie of temporal & eternall puniſhments, except remiſſion bee graunted for the Sonne of God our Mediatour.
The *The Logicians cal it Genus, which is the more common nature of a thing, or the matter of it.general nature of ſinne is a defect. Likewiſe, an inclination, or action. Now there are called defectes in the minde, ignorance, and doubtfulnes of God and his will: in the hart, a priuation of the louelove of God and our neighbour, of ioy in god, and of an earneſt deſire and endeuor to obay God according to al his commandementes, and an omitting of inward and outward actions, which are commanded by the Law of God. Or, This defect is an abſence, 1 Of good inclinations in our minde. 2. Of the knowledge of God. 3. Of motions to obay the Law of God. 4. Of inward actions, which are required in the Law. 5. Of outward actions, which follow the inward.
Now corrupt inclinations are ſaid to bee, ſtubburnes of the hart and will againſt the Law of God, or againſt the iudgement of the minde, as touching honeſt and diſhoneſt actions: or a proneſſe & willingneſſe of nature to doe thoſe things which God forbiddeth, which euill they call concupiſcence. Or, A corrupt inclination is a qualitie of the minde, which hath an action following it, euen ſo that albeit wee are not willing as yet actuallie to doe thoſe thinges which the Law forbiddeth, yet are wee willing by inclination of mind. That ſinne is a defect, ſhall be proued in the queſtion of originall ſinne. That ſinne deſerueth eternall puniſhments, ſhall bee proued in the queſtion of the effectes of ſinne.
The difference of ſin.Now the difference of ſinne, which maketh it to differ from all other defectes, is, that it is repugnant vntounto the Law of God.
The proper quality of ſin.The propertie of it is, that it maketh a creature guiltie of the eternall wrath of God. For as the ſpeciall and peculiar difference of ſinne is, repugnancie with the law of God: So a proprietie neceſſarilie adioined vntounto it, is the guilt of the perſon ſinning, that is, a binding of him to temporall and eternall puniſhmentes, which is done according to the order of Gods iuſtice and will. And this is that which they commonlie ſay, that there is a double formalitie or difference of ſinne: repugnancie with the Law and guilt: or that there are two reſpectes, of which one is a compariſon or a diſſimilitude with the Law: the other as it is ordained to puniſhment. For ſinne is conſidered with this reſpect in the Church, that wee may hauehave the whole deſcription of it, not onelyonly as an euill habit of the will which is called vice of the Philoſophers. But that guilt in men doth not onelyonly enwrappe the ſinners themſelues, but alſo their poſteritie in the iudgement of God: as it is ſaid, Exod. 20, Viſiting the iniquitie of the fathers vponupon the children vntounto the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee. And Deut. 28. Curſed ſhall be the fruit of thy bodie.
Laſt of al an *An accidēt is that which ſo belongeth vntounto a thing, as it is not of the nature thereof but ſo belongeth vntounto it, as it may alſo not belong.accident of ſin is conteined in theſe woords: Except remiſſion be made for the ſatisfaction of the Sonne of god: which is therefore added, leaſt this might ſeeme to be ſaid in the definition of ſinne, That all, whoſoeuer hauehave ſinned, periſh, without all recall, together with their poſteritie. For although there follow the nature of ſinne, which is to be repugnant to the law of god, the condemnation of the ſinner and his poſteritie: yet both are exempted from it, if they apply vntounto themſelues the merit of Chriſt by faith, and bee conuerted.