A helpe to true happinesse. Or A briefe and learned exposition of the maine and fundamentall points of Christian religion. By Mr. Paul Bayne

QVEST. VII.

7. Q. HOw doth this appeare?

A. Both by the punish∣ment, and person against whom it is committed.

Here are set downe two Considerations, by which, as by a glasse wee may see the foulenesse of sinne.

First by the punishment; for proportionable to this in greatnesse must the of∣fence bee: the reason is, be∣cause Iustice doth rule and measure the punishment by the offence; if that be little, the punishment that it as∣signeth is little, if that bee great, the punishment is an∣swerable. Now if a thing

measured forth be long and wide, the measure must bee vnderstood to be long and wide also. Hence it is that in humane punishments we see the greatnesse of the of∣fence; if one be restrained wee gather hee hath done some fault, if imprisoned, if hanged in chaines, or bur∣ned, still as the punishment increaseth we coniecture the fault to haue been corespon∣dent: How foule then must that offence haue beene, which the iust and most mer∣cifull God hath punished with so many miseries in this life, with death in the end, and after with eternall destruction.

Againe, the foulenesse of sinne is clearely discerned by considering the person

against whom it is commit∣ted. For in any good or e∣uill worke, the person that doth it, or the circumstance of person about whom it is done doth impart to the worke such a respect where∣by it deserueth accordingly. Let a common man come to me when I send, and a small thing doth recompence his paines, but let a Doctour of Phisicke come, and an An∣gell is his due: the qualitie of his person doth so digni∣fie his worke, and make it of answerable value. So it in∣creaseth the merit and desert of euill. Let one of the peo∣ple sinne, he is guiltie, but l•••• the Priest sinne,* 1.1 his fault i•• greater, and his Sacrifice must be greater. And as the circumstance of the person

doing, increaseth the desert of good or euill; So doth the circumstance of the per∣son about whom the worke is conuersant. Let a Subiect doe good to any, and it well deserueth, but doing some speciall seruice to his Prince he deserueth greatly. Let him offend any, he is guilty, but the higher the person offended is, the more hai∣nous is the sinne. If one re∣uile or slaunder his equall, it is an offence and may beare an action of the case; but if a Noble man, it is scandalum magnatum, deseruing shar∣per punishment, and if the King, it is treason, and wor∣thy of death: Then how foule must that sin be which is a trespasse committed di∣rectly against GOD the

KING of Kings.

[Ʋse] Let vs then make this vse of all miseries, to take a view in them, of the foulenesse that is in sinne. If wee heare that the Magistrate hath fi∣ned one in an hundred pounds; if we see one carted and whipped; if we see exe∣cution done on any, present∣ly we gather in what kinde they haue offended. When God doth sometimes con∣sume mens substance to no∣thing, making them poore as Iob, who sometime were rich, when hee doth by paines, and griefe lash a man, yea grinde him to dust, when God taketh men away by violent or naturall death, No body riseth to consider either of the power of his wrath, or the foulenesse of

sinne, which hath beene the cause of all this miserie. A∣gaine, if a childe doe ought against his naturall Parent, a Seruant against his Master, a Subiect against his Prince, we esteeme it as a foule mat∣ter, but when we lift vp the hand by sinning against God, the filthinesse of this is not so apparant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Leu. 4.3.12 c mpa∣red with Leu 4 27.••.5