A09364:52
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 fountain of sin, is the Will, from whence arise these three differences of sins: some are from the will immediately, some besides the will, and some are mixed, partly with the will, and partly against the will. Sins proceeding from the will, are properly termed voluntary; such as the doer moved by his own will commits, though he know them to be evil. And here, the more free the will is, the greater is the sin: for will added to knowledge, makes the sin the greater. Under voluntary sins, are comprehended all such, as proceed from stirred affections; as when a man tells a lie for fear, or striketh another in anger: and the reason is, because these offences, though they are ⟨p. 19⟩not done upon deliberation, but arise from the violence of affection, yet they do not exclude Consent. Hither also we may refer, sins committed by compulsion: as when a man is forced to deny his religion, his offence in deed and in truth is voluntary, (though some otherwise think it to be a mixed action.) For compulsion doth not reach to the will, but to the outward man, and serves to draw forth a consent: and when consent is yielded, he denies his religion voluntarily: for the will cannot be constrained. 1In the next place, sins beside the will are such, as are neither directly from the will, nor against it. Of this sort are the first sudden motions unto sin, conceived in the heart with some inward pleasure and delight: and these are truly sins, though in respect little sins, condemned in the last commandment. And they are not from the will, because they go without and before consent: neither yet are they against the will, because then the heart would not take delight in them. Here by the way, we are to note, against the doctrine of the Papists, that all sins are not voluntary: for whatsoever wanteth conformity to the law of God, it is sin, whether2 it be with consent of will or no. But many such desires and delights, arise suddenly in the heart of man, which are not according to the law of God, and have no consent or approbation ⟨p. 20⟩of will. In like manner, when one man kills another, thinking that he killeth a wild beast: if the same man remembereth after wards what he hath done, and is not grieved for the fact: in this case he hath sinned, because his not grieving, is offensive unto God, though the fact were merely besides his will.