A01956:894
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.
3. Minima Insensibilia; these little sins are not so easily felt, therefore most pernicious. If a man hath died his hand in blood, irrequieta conscientia; a peaceless conscience haunts him with uncessant vexation: let him hate his brother, this little murder he feels not. The devil like a roaring Lyon is soon heard: forming himself to a fox, his insinuation is not perceived. He roars in monstrous iniquities, in treason, murder, sacrilege, oppression: these be thundering sins, that will waken the soul if it be not lethargized. But creeping like a silent Fox, he devours the grapes without disturbance. uTake us the Foxes, the little foxes: for they spoil the Vines. If Satan hew at the timber, and knock at the foundation of the house, we hear the noise, and preserve the building. They are those small Teredines, little sins, that in sensibly eat it to dust, and it is ruined ere we are aware. So long as Sin comes not in thunder, it never wakens men: if it do not enter into Theomachy, and denounce open war against GOD, they make but a tush of it. To abuse the good creature is nothing, so long as they are not drunk: to give nothing to the poor is no sin, so long as they take not from the poor: to sleep out the Sermon is but a little drowsiness, all is well so long as they break not the Sabbath in absence from Church. These and such like are the common thoughts, and so trivial an estimate they bear of these sins, that they think God should do them wrong to call them to any reckoning for them.
3. Minima Insensibilia; these little sinnes are not so easily felt, therefore most pernicious. If a man hath died his hand in bloud, irrequieta conscientia; a peacelesse conscience haunts him with vnceslant vexation: let him hate his brother, this little murder he feeles not. The deuill like a roring Lyon is soone heard: forming himselfe to a foxe, his insinuation is not perceiued. Hee rores in monstrous iniquities, in treason, murder, sacriledge, oppression: these be thundring sinnes, that will waken the soule if it be not lethargiz'd. But creeping like a silent Foxe, he deuoures the grapes without disturbance. uTake vs the Foxes, the little foxes: for they spoyle the Vines. If Satan hew at the timber, and knock at the foundation of the house, we heare the noise, and preserue the building. They are those small Teredines, little sinnes, that in sensibly eate it to dust, and it is ruined ere we are aware. So long as Sinne comes not in thunder, it neuer wakens men: if it doe not enter into Theomachie, and denounce open warre against GOD, they make but a tush of it. To abuse the good creature is nothing, so long as they are not drunke: to giue nothing to the poore is no sinne, so long as they take not from the poore: to sleepe out the Sermon is but a little drowsinesse, all is wel so long as they break not the Sabbath in absence from Church. These and such like are the common thoughts, and so triuiall an estimate they beare of these sinnes, that they thinke God should doe them wrong to call them to any reckoning for them.