A09364:46
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning…The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning…
The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three main questions concerning man, simply considered in himself, are propounded and resolved, according to the word of God. Taught and delivered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himself revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.The first part of The cases of conscience Wherein specially, three maine questions concerning man, simply considered in himselfe, are propounded and resolued, according to the word of God. Taught and deliuered, by M. William Perkins in his Holy-day lectures, by himselfe revised before his death, and now published for the benefit of the Church.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1604Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1604
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.
The second thing to be considered is, what is a Sinner properly? For the knowledge hereof, we must consider in every sin four things: first, the fault whereby God is offended: then,1 the guilt which bindeth over the conscience2 unto punishment: thirdly, the punishment it self,3 which is eternal death. Of these three, not the guilt or punishment, but the fault or offence, makes a man a sinner. But here is a further difficulty. When a man hath committed some offence, and the said offence is done and past, it may be some twenty or thirty years: yet the party offending, doth not therefore cease to be a sinner. Now then I demand, what is the very thing, for which he is named and rearmed still a sinner in the time present, the offence being past? The answer is, that every actual sin, beside the three former, must be considered with a fourth thing, to wit, a certain stain, or blot, which it imprints and leaves in the4 ⟨p. 13⟩offender as a fruit, and that is an inclination, or evil disposition of the heart, whereby it becomes apter or pronener to the offence done, or to any other sin. For look as the dropsy man, the more he drinks, the drier he is, and the more he still desires to drink: even so a sinner, the more he sins, the apter is he to sin, and more desirous to keep still a course in wickedness. And as a man that looks upon the Sun, if he turn his face away, remains turned until he turn himself again: so he that turns from God by any sin, makes himself a sinner, and so remains, until he turn himself again by repentance. Thus David was a sinner, not only in the very act of his adultery and murder: but even when the act was done and past, he remained still a murderer and an adulterer; because a new, or rather a renewed proneness to these, and all other sins, took place in his heart by his fall, and got strength, till he turned to God by repentance, upon the admonition of the Prophet. The thing then, whereby a sinner is termed a sinner, is the Fault together with the fruit thereof, namely, the blot imprinted in the soul, so oft as men do actually offend.