Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…

They that are for the first Opinion think, that if Adam had committed •ut a small or venial sin (as a sinful thought or desire after the forbidden •ruit, without the act or full consent) it had been against Gods natural Goodness and Justice to have condemned him to Hell for it. And con•quently that Christ died not to pardon the pains of Hell as due for such ••ttle sins; but only temporal smaller punishments.

But God best knoweth his own Nature; And nature telleth us, That •ll sin deserveth punishment: And he that sinneth, so far removeth his heart from God, and forfeiteth his Spirit or Grace: And he that hath once so turned from God in the least degree, cannot of himself return •or heal himself; and had no promise of Gods Grace to do it: And •herefore it is not to be supposed that he should sin no more, but such a minute sin; for greater will come in presently at that breach, unless God recover him, which he was not in Justice bound to do: And no one knoweth so well as God how much malignity is in the smallest sin; And it was as •asie for sinless Adam to have continued sinless, as for carnal men now •o forbear gross sin. And he that sinneth deserveth not Heaven or Life; •nd there are divers degrees of punishment in Hell, according to the ⟨p. 2⟩degrees of Sin: And Christ died for all our sins: therefore they d• every one deserve death: which consisted not with a right to Life: therefore not with a right to Heaven: And an immortal Soul was not naturally to be annihilated; therefore to live in some punishment as separated: And