!to Cafes of Confcience. I.Booke. /fundrywaies:fidl,l>ycommntlngooe £inne in A qLJall,as rhc Stoicks of auncient rimea, and( I the necke ofanother; asDauid linncd,when their followers haucfalfcly imagined. Font 1 I headded murthenoadultcrie. Secondly, by bath beene prooued at large, by induClionof doublmgand multiplying of fin ne' that io, rundry particulars, that there are degreesof by tilllmgolten into the famelinne. Thirdly, fiones, fame lcffer, Come greater: fame more by lying in finne without repentance. And offenfiueand odious toGvd and man, fame here it muil be remcmbrcd, char men of Jei[e. And that the circumllanccs of time, yeares lilling 111 rbc Church, are nor fimply place,perfon,and manner of doing,doeferue condemned for their parric~lar finncs: but to enlarge or extenuate the finne cammitred. for theircontinuance and rclidcnce 10 them. If1t be here alleadgcd, that Sin is nothing Sinncs commicrcd make men worrhy ofdam. bur the doingof that, whichisvrdawj11ll tolu nation;bur l1uing and abiding in them withdoneo,and that rhis is cquaii in ail men that fin: out repentance, IS rhe thing that brings damand therefore byconJequcnt, offences are e~ nation.For as in themilitant Church men are quail: I anfwer, th:H in euery (innc,menmull ex:cornmunicare, not fo much for their ofnorconfidc-r the vnlawfulnetfe thereofondy, fence,as forthcir obflinacie; fo O~all ir be in :S but the reafon why 1t fhould bevnlawfull:and rhc Church rriumphanr; the kingdomc of that is properly, becaufe lt 1s a breach of hcauen (half be,barred againfi men, nor fo Godsla\V, and repugnant to hiswill rcuealed much for their ·f.in~tommittcd, as for their Jy. in his word. Now there is no breach of a dJing rhereinwnho~t repentance. And this is uine Law,but irismoreorlclfcrepugnantvntbemanner of Gods dealing with thoferhat ro the will of rhe Law·giucr, God himfelfe, haue Jmcd within the precinCtsofthe church; And many rranfi'reffiOs, are more repugnant they fhall be condemned for the verywant of thereunto then fewer: for rhc n:ore !in is in.. truefairh and repenrance.ThiS fhoulJ admocreafed, the moreisthe wtoth ofGod infta. nifh eucry one ofvs,to take heed, Iell we l1c in mcd agaioll the Cinncrvpon his due defert. any llnne:2nd rhat bcemganywayouertaken, If 1t be faid againc,thatthc u:uure ofSnme wee 010uld fpeedJiy repent, leflweaggrauare ilands onely in this, thatthe finnermakesan our Cinne by continuance therein, and fo abcrr.1t1on from the fcope or marke that is bring vpon our fclucs f\v1fr damn.1tion. fee beforehim, and doth no more rhen paffc Thirdly, rbe fame finneis made greater or the bounds of JutJe prrfcribed bv God, and Ic!Tcr fourc waics:accordingto the number of rhac all are alike in this refpcd J The anfi,·cr degrees in the committing of a finne, noted is,that it is a faiOJOod toaffirmc,that he which byS.IamesJAm.r.Is.Ttmprarion,(onceoptimoo, C makes theletfc aberration (ram the dutic Bi,rh, andPerfc[/ion. Atlua!l (inne in the firfl commanded, is cquall in offence to him that dcgrecofttntarion, 1~, when the mind vpon makes the gre:ltcr.For rhafame finne for fubfomc lUddcn morion,is drawneaway to think Hancc,hath fundrie fleps and degrees, in reeuiJJ, and withaiJ isricklcd with fomc del1ght [peel:whereof, one man becommcth a more thereof. For a bad motioncan into the mind, heinous offender then another. For examby the ftc!h and rhe diuel,islikevnrothe baitc p!e, in the feaucnthcommaundement when callmto rhe water, rhar allureth and del1ghGod forbiddcsthe committing ofAdulteric, wh the fifi1, and cauferh it to bite. Smnc in he forbiddeth three degrees of the fame conetrion, i'.i when w1rh the delight of the ftnne; to wit, adulrerie of the heart, conli~ "\ mind, there gocsconfent of w11l ro doe thee- !lingof inordinate and vndcane affections, uill thought on. Smne in birth, is when H adulrerieofthcrongueincorrupt, diOJOndt, comes forth into an aCtion or execution. Sin andvnfccmeJy fpceches; and rhevery act of inperjt[fifln, is when men aregrowncto a cuvncleannctfe and fiJrbmcffe committed by flome andhabite in finne,vponlong pr•Clife. the body.Now it cannor be faid,that he which Furthcoftcn committing of one& thelame D breakesthiscommandcmentonely in the fir!l linne, leauesan euiJI impreliion in the hcarr, degree, is as great a tranfgretfour, as he that rhatis,a flrong or violent inclination,to that hath proceeded to the fecond, and fo to the or any other euill, as hath beene taught bethird. And therefore itrernaines for an vnfore. And fin ne thus made perfeel, brings doubted truth,that Sirmescommittedagain!l foorth,dcarh: forcuflomc in finning brings the Law of God, are not equaiJ, but fome hardnelfe ofheart; hardnelfe of hearr, imletfcr,fome greater• . penircnde;anJ impemtcncie,condcnmation. Sundry other Diffindions there are of Now of rhcfe degrees,rhe firll is the lca(i,and finncs,as namely, That 1hcmi:mc fins ofthe the llfl is the greatcll. One and rhe fame 6rll Table, arc grearerthcn rhe maine finnes l lillne, is: letTer in rcntation, rhen m conccp~ ofthe fccond TabJe. Andyet the maine fins l tion;and lclfc inconccption,thcn in birth;and ofthe fecond, are greater then the breach of greater in perfeClion,then inall the former, cerernoniall duties,againfl rhe 6r!l table. llut this which bath beene fa id n,.u ful!ice. I Sdi. ti. ThHfeofchi! doClrinc is manifold. Fir!l, Now from this doClrine oftheincreafi·ng by it we learne, what the heart of man is ~y and lelfening of Srnne in theo{eo ref!uEts, we naturc:namcfy, :a corrupt andvndeancfoun.. 'imay gather. thata!llioncsare not ahkc ore· raine, out of wh1ch 1tfuerh in the courfc of this
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