A Christian instruction, containing the law and the Gospel Also a summary of the…A Christian instruction, conteyning the law and the Gospell Also a summarie of the…

Of the hidden sins that are in the conscience and wicked vvil of man and how that concupiscence is a sin worthy of damnation in the sight of God, and how greatly it doth displease him, and for what cause.

Of the hidden sinnes that are in the conscience and vvicked vvil of man and hovv that concupiscence is a sinne vvorthy of damnation in the sight of God, and hovv greatly it doth displease him, and for vvhat cause.

T. IT seemeth to me that this matter of works hath been sufficiently, fully, and familiarly entreated of: wherefore let us proceed to the rest.

T. IT séemeth to me that this matter of workes hath bene sufficiently, fully, and familiarly entreated of: wherefore let vs procéede to the rest.

D. If that which hath been said of works be well understood, the rest shall be easy enough unto us: for we may by the very same mean, judge of the will, & of the affections, ⟨p. 520⟩according to which God doth judge of the work. If then thou be stirred up to evil, by any wicked affection, & thy will doth consent and agree thereunto, in such sort that there wanteth nothing but the only mean to execute it: Behold the wickedness is already accomplished before God, thou knowest by that which hath been already spoken, how God will judge. If on the contrary; there be any resistance in thee, & that thy spirit & thy will in no case will agree to that concupiscence which continually doth procure thee, but do resist and repulse it as far from them as they may, it is certain that the iniquity is not so great: albeit that such a concupiscence, what resistance soever there be, can not be without sin, by reason of the corrupted and wicked spring from whence it proceedeth. For that is a sure testimony, that there is much poison and corruption there, where such fruit doth bud forth: although that it find hinderances which will not permit and suffer their buds and fruits to come to their ripeness. Now such a corruption can not be but very displeasant to God, considering ⟨p. 521⟩that it doth proceed from his adversary, and that it is contrary to his holy majesty: as we see it proved and evident in little children: yea even in those which are not only not in age to put any evil act in execution, but also have not discretion to judge neither of good nor evil,¹ we see how death hath power over them, and taketh them out of the world: which he could not do except that there were sin in them. For seeing that sin did beget death, and that it is a fruit of his curse, it is a thing certain, that there where sin doth not reign, death also can have no power, as S. Paul doth very well conclude.

D. If that which hath bene sayd of workes be well vnderstoode, the reste shalbe easie inough vnto vs: for wee may by the very same meane, iudge of the wil, & of the affectiōs, ⟨p. 520⟩according to which God doth iudge of the worke. If then thou be stirred vp to euill, by any wicked affection, & thy will doth consent and agrée therevnto, in such sorte that there wanteth nothing but the onely meane to execute it: Behold the wickednesse is already accōplished before God, thou knowest by that which hath bene already spoken, how God will iudge. If on the contrary; there be any resistance in thee, & that thy spirite & thy wil in no case will agrée to that cōcupiscence which cō tinually doth procure thee, but dee resist and repulse it as farre from them as they may, it is certaine that the iniquitie is not so great: albeit that such a concupiscēce, what resistance soeuer there be, can not be without sinne, by reason of the corrupted and wicked spring frō whence it procéedeth. For that is a sure testimonie, that there is much poison and corruption there, where such fruite doth budde forth: although that it finde hinderances which will not permitte and suffer their buddes and fruites to come to their ripenesse. Now such a corruption can not be but very displeasant to God, considering ⟨p. 521⟩that it doth procéede from his aduersarie, and that it is contrary to his holy maiestie: as wée sée it proued and euident in litle children: yea euen in those whiche are not onely not in age to put any euill acte in execution, but also haue not discretion to iudge neither of good nor euill,¹ wée see how death hath power ouer them, and taketh them out of the worlde: which he could not do except that there were sinne in them. For seyng that sinne did begette death, and that it is a frute of his curse, it is a thing certaine, that there where sinne doth not raigne, death also can haue no power, as S. Paule doth very well conclude.

1. 1Rom. 5.

How that by reason of that concupiscence we are justly worthy of death and damnation, even from our mothers womb.

Hovv that by reason of that concupiscence vvee are iustly vvorthy of death and damnation, euen from our mothers vvombe.

T. What sin is that then in little children, that doth so displease God, that it doth not make them only subject to bodily death, but also to eternal death, and maketh them the children of ⟨p. 522⟩wrath and of the curse, even before they have the use of reason: to know & discern either good or evil.

T. WHat sinne is that then in little children, that doth so displease God, that it doth not make thē only subiect to bodily death, but also to eternall death, and maketh them the children of ⟨p. 522⟩wrath and of the curse, euen before they haue the vse of reason: to know & discerne either good or euill.

D. It is that natural corruption whereof David speaketh, saying:¹ I was conceived in sin, & my mother did bear me in sin: now if we would have the meaning of the words of David expressed according to the signification that they have in the Hebrew, we must then say: And my mother hath warmed me in sin, or with sin, whereby he giveth to understand that he hath been begotten, conceived, and nourished, in his mothers womb, with the sin, even as if he & sin were brothers, twins, begotten, conceived & nourished together in the womb of one very mother: it is then easy to understand how natural sin is now to man, being in this corrupted nature, whereunto he is fallen by mean of his transgression: for that which David speaketh of himself, doth appertain to the whole race of man. Wherefore that conception whereof he speaketh in this passage, is common to us all. Then even so as a little Serpent doth offend us, not only as soon as he is brought or hatched, ⟨p. 523⟩but being in his egg, or in the belly of his dame: even so do we in deed displease God from our very mothers womb. And what is the cause that this little serpent doth so much offend us? by means of the venomous nature that is in him. For all be it that he have not yet showed it, yet notwithstanding it is still abiding in him, and doth not let to show it, but only because it wanteth the mean: but it shall be sufficiently showed in his time.

D. It is that naturall corruptiō whereof Dauid speaketh, saying:¹ I was conceyued in sinne, & my mother did beare me in sinne: nowe if wée would haue the meaning of the words of Dauid expressed according to the signification that they haue in the Hebrew, we must thē say: And my mother hath warmed me in sinne, or with sinne, whereby he giueth to vnderstād that he hath bene begotten, conceiued, and nourished, in his mothers wombe, with the sinne, euen as if he & sinne were brothers, twinnes, begotten, conceyued & nourished togither in the wombe of one very mother: it is then easie to vnderstand how natural sinne is now to man, being in this corrupted nature, wherevnto he is fallen by meane of his transgression: for that whiche Dauid speaketh of himselfe, doth appertaine to the whole race of man. Wherefore that conception whereof he speaketh in this passage, is common to vs all. Then euen so as a litle Serpent doth offend vs, not only as sone as he is brought or hatched,

T. Is it the like of man?

D. There is no doubt of it, for experience doth so plainly declare it: for sith the time that our first father was poisoned with the venom of the old serpent, he could beget no children but such like as he him self was, and little serpents of the same nature that he was, and infected with the same venom, the which albeit that it doth abide hidden for a certain time in us, doth not let for all that to show it self forthwith at the first occasion that it may find. This is the first spring, the first foundation, and the first cause, as much as doth pertain to man, of all the sins that he may commit. Now if that wicked spring, ⟨p. 524⟩how secret or covert soever it be, doth so much displease God, that it hath already deserved eternal damnation, before that it hath so much as once budded forth: how much more shall it displease him with his buds, his branches, and the whole tree and his fruit?

D. There is no doubt of it, for experience doth so plainly declare it: for sith the time that our first father was poysoned with the venime of the olde serpent, he coulde beget no children but suche like as he him selfe was, and little serpēts of the same nature that he was, and infected with the same venime, the which albeit that it doth abyde hidden for a certen time in vs, doth not let for all that to shewe it selfe foorthwith at the first occasion that it may finde. This is the first spring, the first foundation, and the first cause, as muche as doth pertayne to man, of all the sinnes that he may cōmit. Nowe if that wicked spring, ⟨p. 524⟩how secret or couert soeuer it be, dothe so muche displease God, that it hath already deserued eternall damnation, before that it hath so muche as once budded foorthe: howe muche more shall it displease him with his buddes, his braunches, and the whole trée and his fruit?

T. That is very easy to judge.

T. That is very easie to iudge.

D. So easy as nothing is more easy.

D. So easie as nothing is more easie.

Of divers degrees of sin, and of the root and fruits, and of their begetting and consummation.

Of diuers degrees of sin, and of the roote and fruites, and of their begetting and consummation.

T. IT seemeth to me that we may easily discern and extinguish by the deduction which thou makest, all the degrees of sin.

T. IT séemeth to me that we may easily discerne and extinguishe by the deductiō which thou makest, all the degrées of sin.

D. It is easy to do. This same first spring & natural corruption, with that inclination & nature which is alway given to evil, is the same which we do properly call original sin, which of it self is wholly damnable, & can not be overcome by man, but only in that that he is delivered, and that he is regenerate by the only grace and spirit of God. Afterward, that same concupiscence which watcheth continually in man, and procureth him to evil, ⟨p. 525⟩is as it were, the bud of that rotten root, and of that cursed spring, which is never without casting forth some such bud, how generate soever a man be, during the time that he is in this world wrapped in this body of sin, and in his outward man, and in his old Adam. Therefore it followeth that there is no man living, how holy so ever he be,¹ but that he is a great sinner before God, yea although he had no more fault but this same, and hath good occasion to say continually with the whole Church: And forgive us our offences. But if this bud come once to determination,² and to bring forth the consent of the will, then doth the rebellion continually declare it self to be the more great, and the sin doth grow one degree more, and is more increased than before. Now when man is come to this degree of wickedness, and doth acknowledge his fault, and before he proceed any further, he refraineth from it, and asketh pardon of God, he doth less offend, than he that proceedeth to the putting of his wicked purpose in execution, or both ⟨p. 526⟩persevere in the same, although he have not mean to accomplish it, being sorry that he can not put it in execution. And he that doth find ready resistance in his con science, against the evil that doth continually provoke him, and notwithstanding despiseth the admonitions which God giveth him in his own conscience, and of a set purpose doth follow his wicked affection, the same is much more faulty, than he that hath been taken suddenly, either through ignorance or weakness.

D. It is easie to do. This same first spring & natural corruption, with that inclination & nature which is alway giuen to euill, is the same which we do properly call originall sinne, which of it selfe is wholly damnable, & can not be ouercome by man, but only in that that he is deliuered, and that he is regenerate by the only grace and spirite of God. Afterward, that same concupiscence which watcheth continually in man, and procureth him to euill,