A01956:889
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.
This difference we approve: yea we say, that small sins are more easily pardoned: and great sins, when they are remitted, are more hardly remitted. For certainly offenders are more or less punished, according to the quality of the offence. An eye with an eye, but blood with blood, and life with life. Yet still say we not, that a sin is in it own nature venial. For even the least is [Greek or Hebrew], nthe transgression of the Law. It is for the doctrine of Rome, to lessen sin, and to extenuate punishment: and that for two reasons. First that they might please the people with some liberty: and next, that hereby they might build up their Purgatory. For they assign mortal sins to hell, and venial to that purging fire. They offer herein a double wrong, both to their own modesty, and to Gods mercy. To their own modesty, for they extenuate their faults in sinning: to Gods mercy, for they disparage his goodness in forgiving. They affirm that sins of omission, weakness, forgetfulness, and ignorance, be Praeter legem Dei, but not contra legem Dei: that they be Besides the Law of God, not Against the law of God. This doctrine, like the olips of that strange woman, drop as an honey-comb, and are smooth as oil. But their pend is bitter as worm-wood, sharp as a two-edged sword. This is a dangerous delusion; for hence they come so to neglect those less sins, that Peccata minima, be at last thought Nulla. As they have certain Orders among them, Fryers Minorites, Fryers Minim's, and then Nullani, Nullans. So sin bates and dwindles, from a Minorite or less sin to a Minim or least sin, and from a Minim to a Nullan, to be no sin at all. Thus Incipit esse licitum, quod folet esse publicum. The commonness takes away the heinousness: from being generally practised, it comes to be universally allowed.
This difference we approoue: yea wee say, that small sinnes are more easily pardoned: and great sinnes, when they are remitted, are more hardly remitted. For certainly offenders are more or lesse punished, accoding to the qualitie of the offence. An eye with an eye, but bloud with bloud, and life with life. Yet still say we not, that a sinne is in it owne nature veniall. For euen the least is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉,