Miscellanea spiritualia: or, Devout essayes: the second part, composed by the honorable Walter Montagu Esq; Abbot of Nanteul, &c.

SECT. I.

Of the Nature and Malignitie of Venial Sin.

THose who set this Watch we have prescrib'd upon their hours, may be truly said to disappoint the Enemie of his seed-time; leaving him little night by this regular vi∣gila••cie and attention to the p••ssage of their dayes. By which means, his plants th••t are mortally venomous, m••y be kept from taking roo••. Yet are there certain noysome weeds, (which the rankness of our earth doth natural∣ly produ••e, si••ce it was acc••••sed which, though they do not quite choak the good gr••in▪ yet substract ••••ch from that ali∣ment w••ereo•• depe••d•• the thriving and growth of it: where∣fore it foll••w•• now ••pp si••ely to give some dir••ctions in order to the weeding of these noxious excrescencie••.

Such I may properly t••rm all our inord••nate p••••sions and

affections, that trespass never so little against our rule of loving God and our neighbour; but exceed not so far, as to break off the love du•• to either, though they bow it somewhat from the straightness of that Precept, which is the rule and square of it. Of this kind are all our over-sharp angers, or animosities, and all sorts of inordinate appetences, either mental or corporal; which I refer to the title of Passions: and under the notion of aff••ctions, I understand all loves and desires apply'd ev'n to licit obj••cts, but exceeding in measure the mean prescrib'd by right reason; which must consequently be some offence against God the Fountain and supreme Being of Reason; and though not so much as to incur His greatest anger, denounc'd against the full violation of his precepts, yet sufficient to de∣serve his dislike. Which difference Divines express thus; that those sins which turn our faces directly backward from the way of eternal life, are mortal, as tending to eternal death: Those which do but digress and stray a little out of it, (without the other retrogradation) are venial, that is, pardonable; as ad∣judged only to temporal penalties for expiation. The last therefore do but divert our souls from the straightness of their course, by some little bending and deflection towards the creature; the other totally avert them by an absolute conve••si∣on to the creature, fully opposite to the commandments of the Creator; and by this direct opposition, must consequently tend to an eternal separation from God.

Our laws have terms very proper to explain the distinction between these two sorts of sin. There are some crimes we call capital, and others penal: to this last head, all lesser breaches of the law are referr'd under the notion of misdemeanours, which are not sentenc'd to death, but other temporary punish∣ments: So that I conceive Venial sins are significantly ex∣press'd to us, by this term of spiritual misdemeanors; under which notion S. Paul comprises these lighter peccancies, of which he admonisheth the Corinthians, I fear when I come, I shall not find you such as I would; lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, whisperings, swellings; that is, little pettie ill

offices, or trivial vanities; all which are trespasses against the Divine Justice, but not offences that incur capital punishment. And when the righteous man is said to fall seven times a day, it cannot be understood, a downright fall; but rather so many foils given the spirit by the flesh in their continual wrestlings, and contention. For the spirit cannot be said to be thrown down, till it fall from the grace of God, whereof these little stoopings under the frailtie of humane nature, make us not guil∣ty. But 'twill be needless for me to treat the case as a Casuist, to convince the dissenters from this doctrine; since they who disagree with us, are the most concern'd, by their own confes∣sion, in this cleanness and expurgation I shall propose; because those who hold all sins to be mortal, are the most strictly obli∣ged to endeavour an exemption, ev'n from the least transgres∣sions.

The most steddie hands draw straighter lines (specially when they are to be long ones) guided by a rule then by their own unassisted motion; wherefore our heavenly Father fast∣ned their rule and square to the first children he began to teach, by exterior figures and characters; setting it upon their arms and between their eyes, that in all the strayings and evagations of their thoughts, the presence of this guide might recall them. And surely one of the chief occasions of the obliquitie and wryness of the actions of Christians, is the incogitancie, and thoughtlessness on this precept, exhibited by Christ Jesus for the regulation of our lives▪ Be you perfect as your heavenly Fa∣ther is perfect; which doth not import an equalitie, but a simi∣litude in perfection; the identitie is intended in the kind, not in the degrees of puritie, as our souls a••e the perfect images of God in their reasonable nature, not in the extent of their excel∣lence.

Our part is, to preserve a puritie in our thoughts and actions, conformable, though not commensurate unto Gods: We must therefore in the first place, firmly imprint this perswasion in our minds, that this model of uprightness is expos'd unto us not only as an attractive proposition, but as an obliging pattern:

and consequently, we must keep this resemblance of perfection always in our eye, which he (who first stain'dd our immaculate nature) doth continually labour to withdraw from our at∣tention, to oppose the reparation of the image he has defac'd; insomuch as ev'n those who may be said, not to wrastle against flesh and bloud; that is, against the grosser impurities of our corrupt nature, are still invaded by the principalities and powers of spiritual wickednesses. There are many, before whom the Tempter dares not appear, but as Lucifer, rising in the morn∣ing; for as Prince of darkness, he would rather fright then fan∣cie such commercers. As he compasses the earth he takes all habits which conduce best to his access, respectively to his se∣veral addresses: where this subtile spirit finds he cannot easily be receiv'd, as in his kingdom like a Prince, he will come ev'n like a Pedler; bring in all kind of toyes and trifles to trade for; and with many harmless souls, he hath no greater commerce then these pettie seducements, leading them astray by some inordinate affections. The fallacies of trifles, (as the Wise man saith) obscures better things, and the inconstancie of desires per∣verts well-meaning minds.

Are there not many well-dispos'd spirits, of which we may say, they are subject to be over-reach'd by the Seducer, only in the form of a Charlatan; because they will take some receits from him as curiosities, though they will not trust him with their health? He may put off to them many vain faultie de∣lights, but no foul vicious desires; which may be resembled to the using some outward applications, by the advice of Mountebanks, from whom we would take nothing inward; be∣cause we believe the worst end of the one, to be but a harmless effectlessness; but the danger of inward recipes is more serious, which sober persons will not adventure. Thus the Charlatan-Spirit, by his cajollerie, perswades many easie persons to set vain and wanton apparencies, and liberties upon the exterior of their behaviors, which will take nothing questionably dange∣rous into their hearts; because they believe the first consistent with vertue and pietie, and by this insinuation, many venial

sins slide into very innocent interiour dispositions.

Methinks I may properly say, there are many who make the same difference between venial and mortal sin, as most women do between the using white or red upon their faces; of which two, the last is accounted cleanly and harmless to the health; the first, foul and offensive to it; wherefore many who are ve∣ry free in using red, will not allow the use of white. So there are divers who scruple not venial sin, because 'tis consistent with the life of grace, and doth much set off to them the gusts of flesh and bloud; yet they will not resolvedly admit mortal sin, because 'tis inconsistent with the life of Grace, which they are conscientious enough to prefer before their worldly appe∣tites. But let me desire such weak devotions to reflect, that, as it is said of red, at least, it alwayes spoils the natural com∣plexion; so doth all venial sin take away the proper beautie of Grace, and keeps it so pale, as it never hath the colour of zeal; which tincture should shine out and blaze in Christian vertue. To such infirm discolour'd pieties it is, I address this exhorta∣tion, and for whom I implore of God his mercie, by the pro∣fit of this remonstrance, according to this command of his holy Spirit, Who knows his brother sins a sin not unto death, let him ask life, and it shall be given him.

Let all presumers on their steddiness in the way of grace, re∣member the admonition of the Wise man, He that neglects small things▪ shall fall by little and little; for there is no custom so weak, that hath not more power over our nature, then we intend to give it: insomuch as there are many mastered un∣awares by those actions, the effects whereof, they conceive to be at their disposure. For as we see children turn round so long in sport, that they fall down at last, when they would stand; so there are many, who playing in the mazes of little faults, bring their minds to such a diziness, as throws them down when they mean to stand and intermit that amusement.

Nor doth this our common plea of the propensitie of our natures to such declinations defend us; for 'tis not the natural aptness, but our voluntary adherence to these misdemeanors,

that is criminal: the one is a charge left upon our estate by in∣heritance; the other an engagement of our own contracting. The generation that succeeded those first children of Israel, who should have destroyed the Infidels, were not to be blam'd for letting them live among them, unless they contracted alli∣ance with them: so these defects, which are left by our first father, like thorns in the sides of our nature, are not accounted our crimes, unless we marry our affections to them. To be naturally prone to vanitie, passion, self-love, or intemperance, is neither sin nor shame in this our hereditary state of deprava∣tion; for the holy Spirit tells us clearly, that every one is tempt∣ed, and allured by his own concupiscence; which, when it concei∣veth, beareth sin. Whereby we perceive that till we join and couple our affections to our infirmities, the pregnancie of our single nature doth not bear any crime without the conjunction with our will, which we must by all possible means decline. For that may be aptly said, in order to this disswasion, which God spake in the case of these childrens marrying with the In∣fidels; Surely they will turn your hearts after their gods. Cer∣tainly Solomon little thought at first, that his dalliances with strange women should have drawn him unto Idolatrie; but at last, ev n he unhappily verifi'd this principle; He who seeks dan∣ger shall perish in it.

Notes

• 2 Cor. 12 20.
• Mat. 5.48.
• Eph. 6.12.
• S. Tho. ep. 1. c. 5. v. 16.
• Eccles. 19.1.
• James. 1.14.
• 1 Reg. 11.2.