A01956:888
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
THE BAD LEAVEN: OR, THE CONTAGION OF SIN.THE BAD LEAVEN: OR, THE CONTAGION OF SINNE.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I know there is a just distinction of sins, of greater & less. Purity and equality of all transgressions is an idle dream. It was a worse murder to kill Zachariah at the Altar, then Uriah in the field. To steale Sacra de Sacro, holy things out of a holy place, is worse theft then to steale profana de profano, common things out of a profane place. The difference of the punishments manifests a difference of the sins. As in heaven one star excels another star in glory: so in hell, one firebrand exceeds another in burning; though all feel the fire hot enough. Christ tells the Pharisees, that they make their Proselyte ktwo-fold more the child of hell then themselves. lTolerabilius erit Sodomae: It shall be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of Judgement, then for Capernaum: and yet the Sodomites were then in hell. They that devour widows houses under the colour of long prayers, mshall receive greater damnation. As they have been more wicked, they shall be more wretched. This distinction of sins we take up and justify: yea we dare go further, and say there are some sins mortal, and some venial, but not in their own nature. The difference is not ratione Peccatorum, sed Peccantium; not in respect of the sins, but of the Sinners. To the faithful and penitent all sins are venial: to the unbelievers and impenitent, all sins are mortal. It is misericordia remittentis, not natura transgressionis; the mercy of the forgiver, not the quality of the sin, that maketh it venial. All transgressions are mortal in ⟨p. 382⟩themselves, and by repentance all venial in Christ. The least sin legally considered, is mortal: the greatest sin Evangelically considered, is pardonable.
I know there is a iust distinction of sinnes, of greater & lesse. Puritie and equality of all transgressions is an idle dreame. It was a worse murder to kill Zachariah at the Altar, then Uriah in the field. To steale Sacra de Sacro, holy things out of a holy place, is worse theft then to steale profana de profano, common things out of a profane place. The difference of the punishments manifests a difference of the sinnes. As in heauen one starre excells another starre in glory: so in hell, one firebrand exceeds another in burning; though all feele the fire hote enough. Christ tells the Pharises, that they make their Proselite