The Institution of Christian Religion

Here they •lie to the sanctuary of the foolish distinction, that some sins are venial, and some deadly: that for deadly sins is great satisfaction due, that venial sins are purged with more easy remedies, as with saying of the Lords prayer, with sprinkling of holy water, with absolution at the mass. So they mock and trifle with God. But whereas they alway have in their mouth venial and deadly sin, yet they could never discern the one from the other, saving that they make ungodliness and uncleanness of heart, a venial sin. But we (as the Scripture the rule of right and wrong teacheth us) do pronounce,¹ that the reward of sin is death, and that the soul that sinneth is worthy of death. But that the sins of the faithful are venial, not for that they do not deserve death, but because by the mercy of God there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, because they are not imputed, because they are taken away by pardon. I know how unjustly they slander this our doctrine. For they say, that it is the Stoics strange conclusion, concerning the equality of sins. But they shall easily be convinced by their own mouth. For I demand of them, whither among the very same sins that they confess to be deadly, they do not acknowledge one to be greater than an other. It doth not therefore immediately follow, that sins are equal, because they are all together deadly. When the Scripture definitively saith, that the reward of sin is death, that the obedience of the law is the way of life, & that the transgre•••h of the law is death, they can not escape this sentence. What end o• satisfying then will they find in so great a heap of sins? If the satisfaction of one day be the satisfaction of one sin,² while they are about that one satisfaction, they wrap themselves in many sins, sith the justest man passeth no one day wherein he falleth not many times. Now when they shall prepare themselves to make satisfaction for these sins, they shall heap up great numbers, yea rather innumerable. Then the hope of satisfying being cut of, what do they stay upon? how dare they still think of satisfying?

Here they •lie to the sanctuarie of the foolish distinction, that some sinnes are veniall, and some deadly: that for deadly sinnes is greate satisfaction due, that veniall sinnes are purged with more easy remedies, as with sayeng of the Lordes prayer, with sprinklyng of holy water, with absolution at the masse. So they mocke and trifle with God. But whereas they alwaye haue in their mouthe veniall and deadly sinne, yet they coulde neuer discerne the one from the other, sauyng that they make vngodlinesse and vncleannesse of heart, a veniall sinne. But we (as the Scripture the rule of right and wrong teacheth vs) doe pronounce,