That every Sin is a trangression of the Law of God; but with this difference, that it is some∣times heavy, or heinous, and sometimes light.
It is heavy, when it is acted in a matter of concern, with knowledge and consent.
It is light, when it wants either all or any of these three conditions: That is, either when the thing it self is light, or being heavy is without sufficient consent; or with consent, but without knowledge of the evil; so that it be not an af∣fected, wilfull, or voluntary ignorance.
The first is called Mortal, taking it's name from it's effect; by reason of the death it causeth in the Soul, by depriving her of the grace of God, which is its Life.
The second is call'd Venial, because offending God but lightly, it is more pardonable.
The heavy Trangression offends God grie∣vously, it makes one incurr his displeasure, robs the soul of Grace, makes it lose the right it had to Heaven, which is the inheritance of the Chil∣dren of God, and renders it subject to Eternal Damnation.
The light Transgression offending God but slightly, doth not make the Soul incurr his abso∣lute displeasure, but only it causes some small di∣minution of the love, which God hath for her.
All that, which the Scripture says of the ill ef∣fects of Sin, is to be understood of the first trans∣gression, as Jac. 1.15. That it causeth death. Isa. 59.2. That it sets God and man at a distauce: And in a word, all that which we have said above in the Second part. Chap. 10.
And that which the Scripture says, that Prov. 24.16. The Just Man falls seven times a day, that