Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

For the more particular opening of this point it will be needful to answer some few questions touching the reign of some particular sins which haply are seldom so thought of. And the first is Touching small sins whether they may be said to be reigning sins? unto which I answer, That it is not the greatness but the power of sin which makes it a king. We know there are reguli as well as reges, kings of Cities and narrow territories, as well as Emperors over vast provinces. Nay many times a sin may be great in Abstracto, as the fact is measured by the Law, and yet in Concreto, by Circumstances, it may not be a reigning sin in the person committing it: and on the contrary a small sin in the nature of the fact, may be a reigning sin in the commission; as in a Corporation a man not half as rich as another may be the chief magistrate, and another of a far greater estate may be an underling in regard of Government. As a small stone thrown with a strong arm will do more hurt then another far greater if but gently laid on, or sent forth with a fainter impression: so a small sin, committed with a high hand, with more security, presumption, ⟨p. 294⟩and customariness, then others, will more waste the conscience then far greater out of infirmity or sudden surprisal. As we see drops frequently falling will ear into a stone, and make it hollower then some few far heavier strokes could have done, or as water poured into a Sieve with many small holes, or into a bottomless vessel, is equally cast away; A Ship may as well perish upon sands as rocks. ¹Daily small expenses upon lesser vanities, may in time eat out a good estate, if there be never any accounts taken, nor proportion observed, nor provision made to bring in as well as to expend: so a man, otherwise very specious, may by a course of more civill and moderate sins run into ruin.

For the more pa•ticular opening of this point it will be needefull to answere some few questions touching the raigne of some particular sinnes which haply are seldome so thought of. And the first is Touching smallsinnes whether they may be said to be raigning sinnes? unto which I answere, That it is not the greatnesse but the power of sin which makes it a king. We know there are reguli as well as reges, kings of Cities and narrow territories, as well as Emperours over vast provinces. Nay many times a sinne may be great in Abstracto, as the fact is measured by the Law, and yet in Concreto, by Circumstances, it may not be a raigning sinne in the person committing it: and on the contrary a small sinne in the nature of the fact, may be a raigning sinne in the commission; as in a Corporation a man not halfe as rich as another may bee the chiefe magistrate, and another of a farre greater estate may bee an underling in regard of Governement. As a small stone throwne with a strong arme will doe more hurt then another farre greater if but gently laid on, or sent forth with a fainter impression: so a small sinne, committed with a high hand, with more security, presumption,