The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 1 · sin · Subsection 1
1 Whether ſin be in us.
THat ſin is not only in the world, but in us alſo, we are divers waies convinced:We know that ſin is in us, By Gods owne teſtimony. Gen. 6.5. & 18.21. Jer. 17.9. Rom. 1.21. & 3.10. & 7.18. Pſal. 14. & 53. Iſa. 59.By Gods divine teſtimony, which pronounceth us all guilty of ſin; and we are to give credence unto Gods aſſertion, ſith he is the ſearcher of hearts, and trueſt eye-witneſs of our actions: By Gods Law. Rom. 3.20. & 4.15. & 5.20. & 7.7By the Law of God ſin is fully knowne, as before in the third and fifth Queſtions of the Catechiſm hath been at large declared, according to thoſe texts of Scripture, By the Law cometh the knowledge of ſin. The Law cauſeth wrath; for where no Law is, there is no tranſgreſsion. The Law entred thereupon, that the offence ſhould abound: I knew not ſin, but by the Law. By conſcience and the law of nature. Rom. 1.19. & 1.14By conſcience, which convinceth us of ſin: for God, beſides the written Law, reſerved unto us certain generall notions and principles of the law of Nature imprinted in our underſtanding, ſufficient to accuſe and condemn us. Foraſmuch as that which may be known of God is manifeſt in them. The Gentiles doe by nature the things contained in the Law, and ſhew the effect of the Law written in their hearts, their conſcience alſo bearing witneſſe, and their thoughts accuſing one another, or excuſing. 4. The puniſhment and death, whereunto all men are ſubject and enthralled. Nay, our Church-yards, places of buriall, and of execution are as ſo many Sermons of ſin; becauſe God, being juſt, inflicteth not puniſhment on any but for ſin,Rom. 5.12. Rom. 6.23. Deut. 27.26. as ſaith the Scripture: Death went over all men, foraſmuch as all men have ſinned. Again, The wages of ſin is death. Alſo, Curſed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of this law to doe them.
The uſe of this queſtion is,The uſe of the doctrine of ſinne is, 1 To worke in us Humility and Repentance.That we may thence exerciſe our ſelves continually in humiliation and repentance: 2 To withſtand Anabaptiſts.That we deteſt and withſtand the outrages of Anabaptiſts and Libertines, who deny that there is any ſin in them; contrary to the expreſs word of God. If we ſay we have no ſinne we deceive our ſelves; and contrary to all experience: For they both commit many things which God in his law pronounceth to be ſins,1 John 1.8. howſoever themſelves falſly and blaſphemouſly tearm them the motions of the holy Spirit; and live alſo in miſery, no leſſe ſubject to death and diſeaſes then other men: which truly, were they no ſinners, were flat againſt that preciſe rule, Where there is no ſin, there is no death.
But it is demanded,Object. whether wee have not a knowledge of our ſinne by the Goſpel alſo: For, The Goſpel charging us to ſeek for righteouſneſſe, not in our ſelves, but without our ſelves, even in Chriſt, pronounceth us ſinners. Therefore by the Goſpel alſo wee have knowledge of our ſinne, and not by the law alone. Anſw. The Goſpel pronounceth us ſinners, but not in ſpeciall as doth the Law;How the knowledge of ſin cometh by the Goſpel. neither doth it purpoſely teach what, or how manifold ſinne is, what ſinne deſerveth, &c. which is the property of the Law: but it executeth this function onelyonly in generall, and leſſe principally, and preſuppoſing the whole doctrine and duty of the Law; as inferiour Sciences, which are in order directly one under another, borrow ſome principles and chiefe grounds from the Sciences next above them: For after that the Law hath arraigned and convicted us of ſin, and proved that wee are ſinners; the Goſpel immediately taketh this principle, and concludeth, that whereas wee are ſinners in our ſelves, wee must ſeeke for righteouſneſſe without our ſelves in Chriſt, that wee may be ſaved. So then by theſe five meanes wee may finde that ſinne is in us:Sin is knowne five waies. 1. By Gods owne aſſertion: 2. By Gods law principally, and in ſpeciall: 3. By the Goſpel leſſe principally, and in generall: 4. By the touch and ſenſe of conſcience: 5. By the puniſhments which God, being juſt, inflicteth not but for ſinne.