Aggravation of sin and sinning against knowledge. Mercy. Delivered in several sermons upon divers…Aggravation of sinne and sinning against knowledge. Mercie. Delivered in severall sermons upon divers…

Secondly,¹ the more sorrow, renisus, or reluctancy, and regreeting of mind there is against a sin, 'tis a sign that the knowledge of it is the stronger, and quicker against it, and so the sin the more against knowledge: for that gain-saying and displeasure of the mind against it, ariseth from the strength and violent beating of the pulse of conscience, and opposition of it against the sin, it springs from the greater and deeper apprehension of the evil of the sin in the action, which is then in doing; and though that reluctancy be a better sign of the estate of the person, than if there were none at all; as there is not in those who are past feeling, & commit sin with greediness; whose estate is therefore worse, and more uncapable of repentance, yet the fact it self is argued to be the more heinous, for it argues it to be against strong, active, stirring knowledge. This argued Herod's sin to be much against knowledge (as indeed it was) Mark 6. 26. the text says, he was exceeding sorrowful: now that he could not have been, unless he had exceedingly apprehended what a great sin it was to behead John, who, he knew, was a just and an holy man, ver. 20. and who was one that had a great place in his estimation, for he observed him, and was ⟨p. 76⟩wrought much upon by his ministry, and he knew that he did but sacrifice him to the malice of a wicked woman; and in this case the sin is also hereby made so much the greater, in that Conscience doth stir up a contrary violent passion in the heart against the temptation, and therefore yet to do it, when there is such a bank cast up that might resist it, yet then to break all down, such a sin wastes the conscience much.

Secondly,¹ the more sorrow, renisus, or reluctancie, and regreeting of mind there is against a sinne, 'tis a sign that the knowledge of it is the stronger, and quicker against it, and so the sinne the more against knowledge: for that gaine-saying and displeasure of the minde against it, ariseth from the strength and violent beating of the pulse of conscience, and opposition of it against the sinne, it springs from the greater and deeper apprehension of the evill of the sinne in the action, which is then in doing; and though that reluctancie be a better signe of the estate of the person, than if there were none at all; as there is not in those who are past feeling, & commit sin with greedinesse; whose estate is therefore worse, and more uncapable of repentance, yet the fact it self is argued to be the more hainous, for it argues it to be against strong, active, stirring knowledge. This argued Herods sinne to be much against knowledge (as indeed it was)