The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 15
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Not him only who owed the fifty pence, but him likewiſe who was indebted in the ſum of five hundred. You ſee then
Doct. God forgiveth great debts as well as ſmall, hundreds as well as tens.
We read, Math. 18.24. of a debt (not only of five hundred (as here) but) often thouſand, and thoſe not pence but Tallents, a mighty Sum ariſing (ſaith Melancton) to three tuns of gold, yet that remitted.
David, Pſal. 103.2, 3. bleſſeth God for forgiving all his Iniquities, and healing all his diſeaſes. Yet (you know) ſome of them were very foule ones: And Pſal. 130.7. he wills Iſrael to hope in the LORD, for that with him There is Mercy and plenteous Redemption to bee had.
With him is Mercy, Exod 34.6. Mich. 7.18, 19.The Lord, the Lord mercifull and gratious, ſlow to anger, &c. And who is a God like unto him that pardoneth Iniquity and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage. God is every way Infinite; man is a finite Creature: And what proportion can there be betwixt the ſin of a Creature and the Mercy of an Infinite Creator.
foreign (ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 1.25.) The weakeneſſe of God is ſtronger then men: Were there any ſin greater then could be remitted, the weakeneſſe of man (for thence comes ſin) ſhould bee ſtronger then GOD, which neither Religion, nor Reaſon vvill admit of.
With him (likewiſe) is plenteous Redemption. Copioſa dicit ne quiſquam deſpa. raret de venia, arbitrans non ſe poſſe pervenire uſ que ad redēptionis precium, Aug. in Pſ. 130The Redemption that Chriſt made, the Ranſome that he paid was not ſcanty, but plenteous, enough and enough againe, for all the ſins of his people, how many and how heinous ſoever, ſo that none need to deſpaire of pardon! There is Redemption to be had for Them, as well as for any other. A full Satisfaction is made to Divine Iuſtice through the price of Chriſts blood, as vvell for Tallents as for farthing tokens; for the greateſt as vvell as for the ſmalleſt debt, vvho then can doubt (Iuſtice being ſatisfied) but to find God as ready to forgive a thouſand Pounds, as vvell as one Penny.
Vſe 1 Such highly derogate from Gods mercy and Chriſts merit, as cry out with Caine, their ſins are more then can be pardoned. S. Peter calls on thoſe who murdered the Sonne of God, and killed the Prince of life, that they would Repent and Convert, that ſo their ſinnes might be forgiven them. Acts 3.15, 19.Now if their ſin was not greater then might be forgiven, who ſlew the Sonne of God, may we thinke that his was greater then could be forgiven who ſlew his Brother? Was not the betraying and murthering of Ieſus a greater ſin then that of Abels killing? No marvell then though S. Auſtin in this caſe gives Caine the lie.
I ſpare to ſpeake of thoſe antient Heretiques the Novatians, or Cathariſts, who did mainetaine that ſome ſins were irremiſſible, as thoſe committed after Baptiſme, &c. Thoſe excluded mercy: One ſinne (indeed) wee read of to be unpardonable, Mat. 12.31, 32. but that is not ſimply in regard of the greatneſſe and heynouſneſſe thereof (as if it exceeded Gods mercy or Chriſts Sacrifice) but in reſpect of mans malice, he either malitiouſly deſpiſing the Spirit of grace, or wilfully rejecting the offer of Pardon. In order of Redemption God hath made mans fin pardonable; but man by his impenitencie makes it unpardonable.
Vſe 2 Let none deſpaire, Deus non eſt deſperantium Pater ſed Index, ſuch ſhall not find God a Father, but a Judge. It is a provoking ſin to limit the holy one of Iſrael in his Mercy as well as to limit him in his Power: To ſay, thus farre he will goe in pardoning and no further. He hath taught us to forgive untill ſeventy times ſeven times, and can we thinke that he wills us to be more mercifull then himſelfe will be? That number amounteth to ten Iubilees of Pardons: for ſo many ſins then may we (upon Repentance) expect pardon at h…s hands; yea for as many, and as many more; for his mercy exceeds mans, Pſal. 35.5.as the Heavens doth the Earth; He can more readily forgive ſeventy times ſeventy, then man ſeven. Iſa. 55.9.His Thoughts are not as our thoughts in pardoning. We wonder how a man can put up ſuch wrongs, and paſſe by ſuch injuries, or doe ſuch a kindneſſe for one who hath ſo much abuſed them. But He is God and not Man, ceaſe wondering, and fall to bleſſing (with David) Pſal. 103.2. My ſoule bleſſe thou the Lord, and all that is within mee bleſſe his holy name, who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diſeaſes, &c.
Secondly, we may obſerve hence
Doct. He who owes leaſt ſtands (as well) in need of mercy and forgiveneſſe as he who owes most.
David deſires God to forgive him the error of his life, his ſecret faults, as well as his preſumptuous ſins, Pſal. 19.12, 13. And the ſins of his Youth he begs pardon for, Pſal. 25.7. as well as thoſe of riper yeares.
Reaſon. No ſins are ſmall in Themſelves, ſimply conſidered, for that they are committed againſt an Infinite Majeſty, Pſal. 51.4. 1 Ioh. 3.4.(as before was ſaid) They are againſt an Infinite Law, and ſo merit infinite damnation, Epheſ. 5.6. Gal. 3.10.
Vſe. How doth Popiſh Doctrine agree with this truth delivered. The Rhemiſts confidently avouch, that many ſins need no remiſſion, they are Veniall (that is,Rhem. Annot. in Rom 1.32. Azor inſtit. mor part, 1. l. 4. c. 8, 9. Bonavent. in 2. d 42. Bellar. l. 1. de amiſſi…rat c 14 reſp. ad 1. obj. Haec venialia non criminalia reputantur, excepto cum per contemp…um in uſum & conſuetudinē vertuntur Bern. de praecept & diſpenſ c. 14. pardonable of their owne nature) ſuch as a man needs make no confeſſion of; and for which a man needs not to be called a ſinner, they merit not Death, nor can God in Juſtice puniſh thoſe ſins with it.
The Diſtinction betweene Mortall and Veniall we abſolutely diſlike not. Wiſely and rightly limited, it may ſafely be admitted.
Two manner of waies are ſins termed Veniall: Either Comparatè, in Compariſon of others, being in themſelves of a lighter nature, carrying not in them ſo great a repugnancie to Gods Law, nor bringing with them any notorious diſhonour to God or Injurie to man, (thus a little exceſſe in mirth, idle words, and ſuch like,) which though they deſerve not Favour and Pardon, yet they leſſe deſerve Puniſhment then others of a higher nature.
Or els Simplicitèr: they are ſo termed ſimply, and in themſelves, and that three manner of waies.
1. Ex natura ſua, being ſuch as in their owne Nature deſerve not Death. Either they merit no puniſhment at all, or at leaſt, ſuch as is but Temporary.
2. Ex gratia: by Gods Favour, and through the Churches Indulgence (for ſo in former ages they were called, which paſſed not under the Churches Cenſure.) Thus thoſe ſins which are indeliberately and ignorantly committed, either through their ſmallneſſe, or daily incurſion.
3. Ex eventu, in reſpect of the iſſue and event; and thus we acknowledge all the ſins of the Elect to be Veniall, Rom. 8.1.
The Queſtion betwixt Papiſts and us is, Whether any ſinne of the Elect or Reprobate be Veniall (ex ſuâ na…urâ) of its owne Nature and kind. This we deny, and they affirme.
Foure Arguments wee bring to prove our Doctrine.
Firſt, our Saviour affirmes that every lie (not onelyonly the pernitious but the officious which they hold veniall) And every vaine and pettie oath, more then Yea (in affirming) and Nay (in denying) commeth from the wicked one: foreignthat is, from the Divell, for ſo we find, 1 Ioh. 3.12. the ſame phraſe uſed.
Secondly, Death is threatned by the Lord for the leaſt tranſgreſſion of his righteous Law, Deut. 27.26. & 30.19. Gal. 3.10. Rom. 6.23. 1 Cor. 15.56. Now, doth the Law of God forbid thoſe ſins they call veniall, yea or no? If not, then they are no ſins, or elſe the Law is not perfect, in that it meeteth not with all enormities, If yea, then they are Tranſgreſſions, and deſerve Death.
Thirdly, that which hath beene inflicted by the Lord upon men even for ſuch tranſgreſſions as they call Veniall, prove them to be otherwiſe, read Gen. 9.26. 1 Sam. 6.19. 2 Sam. 6.7. 1 King. 13.24. & 20.36. Acts 5.3.
Fourthly, the Price that was paid for theſe leſſer kinde of ſinnes, prove that they are Mortall and not Veniall: Chriſt ſhed his blood for the errors or ignorances of the people, Heb. 9.7. And this was ſhadowed under the Law, Levit. 5.17, 18. So that we may ſafely conclude againſt that Doctrine of theirs, No ſinne is in its owne Nature Veniall, all are Mortall, the leaſt as well as the greateſt, and needs pardon. Were it, (as Papiſts would have us to bel…eve) that there are ſome ſins Veniall, and pardonable of their owne Nature; Let them give us leave to enquire of them, how it comes to paſſe that ſuch Delinquents goe into Purgatory for them, where the paine is ſo intollerable (as they ſay) that one having lyen a long time there, and it being put to his choice whether hee would lie there one day longer or returne to the earth againe, and there for the ſpace of an hundred yeares to walke upon ſharp yron nayles, and eate nothing but bread baked on the Imbers, and drink nothing but Vineger mingled with Gall, and weare nothing but haire-cloth about his loynes; nor have no other but the cold earth for his bed, and a hard ſtone for his pillow; made choiſe to endure all this, rather then to abide one day longer in Purgatory. Can they give us any reaſon why God ſhould torment any one ſo grievouſly in another world, for that which hath made no breach of friendſhip betwixt him and them, and wherewith he never was diſpleaſed? If they can, let us heare it.
Vſe 2 As for our ſelves and practiſe, let us not thinke any ſin contemptible ſo as to make light of the committing of it, ſeeing every ſin ſtands in need of mercy and forgiveneſſe. And further know we,
1. That the Nature of ſin ſtands not in the materiall part (which often is little;) but in the forme or anomy, which is the Tranſgreſſion of the Law: And that may be in an Apple, as well as in a greater matter. You know, the moſt poyſonfull ſinne of all▪ was taken in an Apple.
Que que minu… laedunt ſingula multa nocent. Quomodo minuta peccata ſi negligantur occidunt? minuta ſicut grana arenae ſed ſi multa arena imponatur premit, &c. Aug Tract 12. in Iob. Quid intereſt ad naufragium i…rum uno grands fluctu navis operiatur, an paulatim ſubr…pens aqus in Sentina…: Aug. Epiſt. 108. Quid interest utrū te plumbum premat an arena? plumbum una maſſa eſt, arena minuta grana ſunt. n…nne vides, &c. Aug. Ser. 10. de diverſ. Nolite contemnere venialia quia minima ſun…, ſed timete quia plura: plerun que enim beſtiae minia … multae necant, &c. Timenda eſt erg… ruina multitudi…is, etſ… non magnitudinis. Aug. de decem chordis. Si vitari parva negligimus inſenſibiliter ſeducti majora etiam perpetramus. Greg.2. Small ſins, with their Multitude and Number, hurt the ſoule as much as great ſins doe with their weight (ſo S. Auſtin teacheth us) How doe ſmall ſinnes kill the ſoule (ſaith he) if they be neglected? The drops which fill whole Brookes are ſmall, and graines of ſand are ſmall, but yet if many of them be put together they will ſink a ſhip. And againe, What matters it whether a ſhip be everwhelmed with one great wave or ſunke by a leake in the bottome uneſpied, wherein the water enters drop by drop, &c. And elſewhere, thus, What eaſeth it a man to be preſſed to death with a heape of ſand more then with a ſow of lead? Sceſt, thou not that by ſmalleſt drops the greatest Rivers are filled. They are ſmall but they are many, And what they looſe in Quantity, they get in Number; See therefore (ſaith he) that you contemne not theſe ſinnes, becauſe they are ſmall, but feane them becauſe they are many. You know that many little boyes about the Market Croſſe, by their noyſe outcry the Cryer.
3. Small ſins ſerve to make way for greater. Huntſmen firſt ply the Deere with their little Beagles, till it be heated and blowen, and then they put on their great Buckhounds: Such uſe the Divell makes of little ſins. A long thred of iniquity he hath let in with a ſmall Needle; as we finde in Davids caſe and in Peters, &c. A great fire hath beene kindled by a little ſparke; and a great blot made with a little haire hanging in the Pen. If we ſtick not at ſmall ſins (ſaith Gregory) ere we be aware, we ſhall ſwallow downe the greateſt. You may remember that ſtrong Sampſon was led into the roome by a little Boy.
4. Small ſins are cured with more difficulty then greater: A wound made with a Steeletto is more dangerous then a wound made with Goliah's ſword; here the wound preſently cloſeth up, and ſo bleeds inwardly in greater abundance. We watch not ſo much over thoſe kind of ſins, as we doe over greater: thence it is that we fall oftner into them, and being fallen we lie longer in them without Repentance. In this reſpect our Saviour tells the Phariſees, that Publicans and ſinners ſhall goe into Gods kingdome before them, Mat. 21.31.
5. Forget not what Chriſt ſuffered for ſmall ſins, even his pretious blood, Heb. 9.7. our great ſinnes were as the Speare in his ſide, and as the Nayles in his bleſſed Hands and Feet, and our ſmall ſinnes were as the Thornes up-his Head, they though ſmall yet put him to paine and griefe; How dare we crowne the Sonne of God (againe) with Thornes and put him by our ſmall ſins to an after ſuffering.
Wherefore as we deſire the wellfare of our ſoules, hearken to this word of Exhortation, and make conſcience of committing the ſmalleſt ſins; and know it for a truth, No ſin is ſmall to him who thinks it ſo. Thus wee have heard the caſe related. Now followes the Quere made upon it.