no apology, and the other is not capable of any; the one is a mortal fin, and the other no fin at all And therefore, we must look for venial fin in some other species of action. 3. The laft clafs of actions are thofe which are of a mixt nature; partly voluntary, and partly involuntary: and here, I think, we muft place fins of infirmity, by whatever names we may call them. For these furely, if they are to be ranked (as by all they are) amongst actual fins, must be fuch actions as have in them, fomething of voluntary, fomething of involuntary, much of human frailty, and fomething of finful; much of unavoidable, and fomething of moral obliquity. Thefe are the trangreffions which the fcripture feems to me, to intend by errors, defects, flips, motes, the fpots of God's children; and thefe certainly, if any, must be the fins that confift with a ftate of grace. For these do not imply a deliberate wickedness in the will, much less an habitual one; nay, they do not include in them any wickedness at all, ftrictly speaking, but are truly the effects of human frailty, and the unhappy circumstances of this mortal life. Thus then I defcribe a venial fin; it has in it fo much of voluntary as to make it fin, fo much of involuntary as to make it frail ty; ty; it has fo much of the will in it, that it is capable of being reduced; and yet fo much of neceffity in it, it is never utterly to be extirpated: it has fomething in it criminal enough to oblige us to watch against it, and repent of it; and yet fo much in it pitiable and excufable, as to intitle us to pardon under the covenant of grace. And thus I diftinguish venial from mortal fin: mortal fin proceeds from a heart, either habitually corrupted, or deceived and captivated for the time; but venial fin results from the imperfections and infelicities of our nature, and our state. Mortal fin is truly voluntary and deliberate in the rife and birth of it, and mischievous and injurious in its confequence: but venial fin is very far indeliberate in its beginning, and, if not indulged, almost harmless in its effects: deficiency is, as it were, the effence of the one, malignity of the other; in the one we see more of frailty, in the other more of wickedness:`in the one fomething nearly allied to neceffity, in the other to prefumption: the one is the tranfgreffion of the law of Perfection, the other of the law of Sincerity; the one is repugnant to the letter, the other to the defign and end of the law; the one is a violation of God's commands, taken in the most favourable conftruction, the other a violation of them in a rigorous one, one. Fit per Ignorantiam vel Infirmitatem non exertis adverfus eam totis viribus voluntatis, eidem ad That this was the notion of St. Auftin, St. Jerome, and others, who impugned the finlefs Perfection of the Pelagians, is very plain. 1. From the diftinction they made between Kaniz and αμάρτημα, Crimen and Peccatum, i. e. between wickednefs and defects, between crimes and faults; for this is plainly the fense wherein they used these words. And next from thofe very clear and lively defcriptions of venial fin, which occur frequently in St. Auftin; after whom, 'tis well known, others writ. Such is that * through ignorance or infirmity, for want of exerting out utmost Strength against concupifcence, we are drawn away by it to fome unlawful things; and the worfe we are, fo much the more and the oftener; but the better we are, fo much the less and the feldomer do we give way to it. And thus St. Jerome imputes venial fin, to our not making use of our utmoft ftrength and diligence. I might content my felf with having given this general defcription of fins of infirmity, did I not know, how ill a talent some have at applications of generals to any particular cafe; and how little fatisfactory fuch ac illicita etiam nonnulla cedamus, tanto magis & crebrius quanto deteriores, tanto minus & rarius quanto meliores fumus. Tom. 7. De Peccat. Rem. p. 689. + Hoc & nos dicimus, poffe Hominem non peccare, velit, pro tempore, pro loco, pro imbecillitate corporca, quamdiu intentus eft Animus, quamdiu chorda nullo vitio laxatur in Cilag. p. 201. thara. Dial. 3. adv. Pe count count is to the weak and fcrupulous. For the fake of these therefore, I think fit to be a little more diftinct and particular on this argument. In venial fins then, two things must be confidered. 1. The matter of it. 2. The manner of committing it. 1. As to the matter, I conceive it ought to be flight and inconfiderable. There is no room for a venial fin in things of a crying provoking nature; as in adultery, idolatry, murther; for in thefe, the injuftice and wickedness, with refpect to God and man, is palpable and formidable; and can never, for ought I fee, be extenuated by any circumstances into fins of infirmity. But when I fay, the matter of the fin of infirmity muft not be deteftable and crying provocation, I do not mean to extend this to the first tendencies and difpofitions even towards fuch fins. Thus tho' adultery cannot be a venial fin; yet the first sallies of the defire, the first glances and wandrings of the eye, may. And the fame thing may be said of the first motions towards any other fin. 2. As to the next thing to be confidered in a venial fin, that is, the manner of committing it, it muft proceed from ignorance, frailty, or furprise. 1. From 1. From ignorance. By ignorance I do not mean that which is utterly invincible, but that which has fome defect, fome frail. ty, fome degree of negligence in it. Of this kind, I take thofe errors to be, against which David prays, Pfalm xix. 12. Who can understand his errors? cleanfe thou me from fecret faults. He that confiders human nature, and the power of education, the influences of prejudices which we fuck in betimes, and fuch like, will eafily acknowledge, that there may be fuch errors. When we have used a moral diligence in examining our lives, and trying our own hearts; yet confidering the vast variety of duties we are to run through, no humble man can be confident, that he has omitted nothing, that he is mistaken in nothing. This I take to be the fenfe of Solomon, Prov. xx. 9. Who can fay, I have made my beart clean, I am pure from my fin? And this I take to be the fenfe of St. Paul, Cor. iv. 4. For I know nothing by my felf, yet am I not bereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. There are mistakes and errors, which might indeed have been prevented or removed, by the strictest impartiality, and the strictest diligence. But alas! how often do good men fall fhort of both these? How common is it for good men to be too far tranfported by the best of principles, even zeal? How often do |