The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at…

I know it is a very great difficulty that hath long perplexed the Doctors of the Church, to define what sins are consistent, and what inconsistent with a state of Holiness and Salvation, (which if any distinguish by the names of Mortal and Venial, taking the words in no other sense, I shall not quarrel with them.) At the present I shall say but this for the resolving of this great and weighty question.

I know it is a very great difficulty that hath long perplexed the Doctors of the Church, to define what sins are consistent, and what inconsistent with a state of Holiness and Salvation, (which if any distinguish by the names of Mortal and Venial, taking the words in no other sense, I shall not quarrell with them.) At the present I shall say but this for the resolving of this great and weighty question.

1. It is not the bare Act of sin in it self considered, that must determine the case: but the Act compared with the Life of Grace, and with true Repentance. Whoever hath the Love of God and Life of Grace, is in a state of Salvation: And therefore whatever sin consisteth with the fore-described Essentials of Sanctification, (viz. The Habitual ⟨p. 348⟩devotion of the soul to God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and the Habitual renunciation of the Flesh, ehe World and Devil) consisteth with a state of life. And true Repentance proveth the pardon of all sin: And therefore whatever sin consisteth with Habitual Repentance, (which is the Hatred of sin as sin,) and hath Actual Repentance when it is observed, and there is time of deliberation, consisteth with a state of Grace. Now in Habitual Conversion or Repentance, the Habitual Willingness to leave our sins, must be more then our sinful Habitual Willingness to keep it. Now you may by this, much discern as to particular acts, whether they are consistent with Habitual hatred of sin. For some sins are so much in the power of the will, that he that hath an Habitual hatred of them, cannot frequently commit them; And some sins are also of so heinous a nature or degree, that he that Habitually hateth sin, cannot frequently commit them: nor at all, while his Hatred to them is in Act: And he that truly Repenteth of them, cannot frequently return to them: because that showeth that Repentance was indeed either but Superficial, or not Habitual. But some sins are not so great and heinous, and therefore do not