An Ample Declaration of the Christian DoctrineChapter 19. Of the seuen Capitall sinnes

Scholar. I Desire now to know, which be the most principall sinnes, to the end I may flie them with more diligence.

Master. Some sinnes are more principal, because they are as fountaines or roots of others, and therefore called capital, and these are seuen. Others are more principall for that they are more hard to be pardoned, and are called sins against the Holie Ghost, and they are six. Finally there are others more principall, because they are more manifestly enormious, and against all reason, and therfore it is said, that they crie for reuenge to Heauen, and they are foure.

Scholar. Which are the Capitall sinnes?

Master. They are these, Pride, or (as others call it) Vainglorie, Couetousnes, Lecherie, Enuie, Glutonie, Anger and Sloath.

Scholar. Wherefore are they called capitall?

Master. They are not called capitall, because they are mortal: for many sins are mortall, and are not capitall, as blasphemie and murder; and many capital, which are not alwaies mortal as gluttony, anger & sloath. But they are called capitall, because they are heads of many others, which proceed from them, as branches from the roote, and riuers from the fountaines.

Scholar. What is Pride, what sinnes doth it bring forth, and what is the remedie against it?

Master. Pride is a sinne, by which a man thinketh himself to be more then he is, and so preferreth himselfe aboue others, not willing to haue others a boue him nor equall with him. The sinnes which it produceth, are vaine glorie, and vaunting of him selfe, contending with others, discorde, disobedience, and the like. The remedie is to attende with all diligence to holiehumilitie, that is, to know that a man is nothing of him selfe & that al we haue, is the gift of God, and to thinke that others are better then wee, and therefore to esteeme our selues lesse then others, in minde to submit our selues to all, & outwardly to honor all others according to their degrees. It helpeth also to consider, that pride maketh a man like the diuel, and that it pleaseth God highly: whereupon it is written, that God resisteth proude men, and boweth himselfe to humble men: he confoundeth the proud and exalteth the humble.

Scholar. What is Couetousnesse, what are the sinnes which come of it, and the remedie against it?

Master. Couetousnesse is a disordinate affection towards riches, and it consisteth in three things. First in desiring the goods of others, not being contente with his owne. Secondly in desiring more then is sufficient and not willing to giue the superfluous to the poore, as we are bound. Thirdly, in louing those goods, wee haue too much, though they be our owne, and not superfluous. And this appeareth when a man is not found readie to loose his goodes, in a case that is necessarie, for the honour of God. And therefore Sainte PAVL saith, that couetousnesse is (in some sort) Idolatrie, for that the couetous man preferreth his goods before God, seeing hee is contented rather to loose God then his goods. The sinnes then which proceed of couetousnesse are manie, as Theft, Robrie, deceipts in buying and selling, crueltie towards the poore, & other like: the remedy is to exercise our selus in the vertue of liberalitie, considering that in this life, wee are trauellers and pilgrims: and that therefore it is much better for vs, not to load our selues with goods, but to deuide them, with our fellow trauellers, who may carrie them vnto our countrey: and so being in part disburdened, we may make our voyage more easely.

Scholar. What is Lecherie, what sinnes doth it bring forth, and what is the remedie against it?

Master. Leacherie is a disordinate affection towards cardinall pleasures & delights. The sinnes which proceed from it, are Blindnes of minde, Temeritie and Inconstancie, as also Adulterie, Fornication, dishonest words, and all other vncleannesse. The remedie is to be well exercised in fasting, in prayer, & in flying euil cōpany: because these are the means to keepe chastitie: and aboue all for men not to trust thēselues, for their owne vertue & holines, but to stand aloofe from dangers, and to keepe well their senses, considering that the most strong Sampson, the most holie Dauid, and the most wise Salomon, were deceiued with this vice, and fel into great blindnes of mind, & chiefly Salomō, who was brought to adore al the Idols of his cōcubins

Scholar. What is Enuie, what sinnes doe come of it, & what remedie is there against it?

Master. Enuie is a sinne, by which one is displeased at the good of an other: for that it seemeth to diminish his owne greatnes. Where you haue to consider, that when the good of an other displeaseth you, for that he is not worthy to haue it, or because hee vseth it not well, it is no sinne. Likewise, when you are displeased, that you also haue not the good, which others haue, and chiefly vertue, deuotion, and the like goodnes, this also is no sinne, but rather is a holie and commendable emulation. But when it displeaseth you, that an other hath some goodnesse, because it seemeth to you that it darkneth your glorie, and you would that he had it not, to the end he were not your equal or your better, it is the sin of Enuie. And it bringeth forth many sins, as peruerse iudgemente, ioy of an other mans euill, murmuring, and detraction. For that the enuious seeketh to diminish the good name of his neighbour. And finally, sometimes it induceth to commit murder: as Cain did, who for enuie killed his brother: and the Iewes for enuie procured the death of our Lord. The remedie, is to be exercicised in brotherlie charitie, & often to thinke that Enuie hurteth more him that enuieth, then him that is enuied. For that the enuious afflicteth and fretteth himselfe inwardly, and oftentimes God doth exalt him that is enuied, by that means by which the enuious would haue abased him. So wee see that the diuel for enuie caused man to lose the terrestrial Paradise, & god by that occasion wrought, that christ came into the world, & so gaue vs the celestial paradise: The brothers of the patriarch Ioseph, sold him for enuie, and God by that occasion brought to passe, that Ioseph became lord of his brothers. Saul for enuie persecuted Dauid, & God caused Saul to lose the kingdome & gaue it to Dauid.

Scholar. What is Gluttonie, what sinnes produceth it, and what is the remedie against it?

Master. Gluttonie is a disordinate appetite of eating & drinking: which cōsisteth in taking more meate then is conuenient, in seeking too pretious meates, in desiring forbidden meats, as flesh on the Friday and Saturday, in not exspecting the houre of eating on fasting daies, and finally in eating with too great desire & eagernesse. The sinnes which come of gluttonie, are obscuritie of vnderstanding, vaine mirth, and babling, And often of Gluttonie, commeth Leacherie, with all the sinnes which proceed thereof. The remedie is to attende vnto temperance and abstinence, which helpe both the soule and the bodie. And in particular it is most profitable to consider, that the delight of gluttony is very short and often leaueth behinde it long paines of the stomacke, of the head, and other like.

Scholar. What is anger, what sinnes doth it bring, and what remedie is there against it?

Master. Anger is a disordinate desire of reuenge. But you must knowe that moderat & ordinate anger is good. Whereupon the Psalme saith: Bee you angrie and sinne not. And S. Basil saith, that anger is like to a dogge, which is good when he barketh against enemies, but more whē he hurteth friends. The disorder of anger consisteth in three thinges. First, in desire to be reuenged of him that deserueth it not, and that hath not offended vs. Secondly, in desiring to reuenge by priuate authoritie, for that to punish and to vse reuenge against malefactors, doth not belong to any, but to Superiors, as to the Prince, or Magistrate. And for so much as God is the Supreame Prince, he saith, that to him reuenge principally belongeth. Thirdly, in reuenging for hatred, and not for zeale of justce, and in exceeding in the maner, & in other circumstances. The sinnes which come of disordinate anger, are contentions, injourious words, furious behauior, outragious actions, as of mad-men: for immoderat anger is like to madnesse. The remedie is to be exercised in the vertues of meekenesse, and of patience, considering the examples of holie men and of Christ himselfe, who by supporting and suffering, haue triumphed more gloriouslie then worldly men do by endeuoring to be reuenged of their enemies.

Scholar. What is Sloath, what sinnes produceth it, & what is the remedie against it?

Master. Sloath is called in Greeke Acidia, & signifyeth tediousnes, loathsomnes, and griefe to doe well. And it is a mortal sinne, when one giueth & taketh loathsomnes to do well, & is displeased for that he is bound to obserue the cōmandements of God, and to walke in the way of vertue. The sinnes which he produceth, are light esteeming the commaundements: easelie yeelding him selfe to vices: desperation of wel-doing: hatred and dislike of such as would draw or force a sinner to leaue sinne and to take a good way. The remedie is, neuer to be idle, to read good bookes, to consider the great reward which God promiseth to those that are diligent and obseruing his commandements, and the eternall and intollerable punishments, which is prouided for the negligent.