A09466:392
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
The Assertion. › Argument 2 › The proof.The Assertion. › Argument 2 › The proofe.
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.
Now this true humiliation of a sinner can not be wrought in any mans hart by the religion of the Church of Rome. True & sound humiliation is wrought by two means: first by making a man to see the greatness of his sin and wickedness: secondly, by making him to acknowledge, that he is destitute, & quite bereft of all goodness. For if a man either see not the greatness of his sin, or have confidence of any thing in himself, he cannot be humbled: but neither of these 2. things are performed in the Church of Rome. As touching the first, the Romish religion is so far from amplifying & enlarging the greatness of mens sins▪ that it doth extenuate them, ⟨p. 201⟩and lessen them out of measure, for it maketh some sins to be venial fwhen as the least sin that can be against Gods law, deserveth damnation, git teacheth that lesser sins are done away by an humble accusation of a mans self, by saying the Lords prayer, by knocking upon the breast, and by such like: that greater sins may be done away by alms deeds, and such like satisfactions. But how can any sin be great, that may be done away with such easy and slight means. Furthermore it teacheth, that evil thoughts & desires, and motions of the heart without consent are no sins: and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation: for hPaul never repented, before he understood the meaning of the last commandment, & perceived thereby, that the desires and lusts of his hart, to which he did not yield his consent, were sins damnable before God, and knowing this, he then saw himself to be most miserable, & renown cing his own righteousness, he sought for righteousness in Christ. Lastly iit teacheth, that original sin is done away in Baptism, and that is the least sin of all other. What is this but to extenuate mans corruption, for when the root of corruption is taken ⟨p. 202⟩away, and it is made so little a sin, actual sins cannot be taken for such heinous matters.