e. Peccata mortalia et venalia.
Considered in terms of consequences, sins are divided into "mortal sins" and "venial sins." Mortal sins are those that are actually counted to death for the sinner. All the sins of unbelievers belong here. In the case of believers, that is, those who have already come to faith, we call those sins mortal sins which drive the Holy Spirit out of the heart, and in which faith in Christ cannot exist. Venial sins are those that deserve death in themselves, but are in fact forgiven continually to those who believe in Christ.1660) All sins of weakness of believers belong here, that is, sins that do not drive the Holy Spirit and therefore faith out of the heart. The Roman doctrines teach falsely that certain sins of fact are venial sins in themselves and do not deserve eternal but only temporal rebuke.1661) The Calvinists also teach falsely that the elect do not lose faith and the Holy Spirit even in the case of peccata enormia.1662) Scholastics designated seven sins
nothing good dwells in their flesh and that they owe it solely to the grace of God if the corruption of original sin is not allowed to produce all its legitimate fruits in them, even to the point of eternal damnation. If we now, what we owe to God's preservation and grace alone, want to credit ourselves and consort with God on the basis of our lesser sin and guilt (in comparison with others), this is a senseless and direct rejection and mockery of the gospel of grace. Hence Luther's admonition above that we must not exalt ourselves before God above any harlot, etc., unless we wanted to become last from first.
1659) Thus Baier-Walther II, 324.
1660) Cf. the Fifth Petition and Luther's explanation.
1661) The evidence from the Roman Catechism (II, 5, fr. 46) and from the Catechism of Bishop Henni (p. 75. 76); in Günther, Symbolik 4, p. 155 [Popular Symbolics, p. 168]. In this point, too, the Arminians teach essentially as Rome does in her Confessio VII, 6. Quoted in Günther loc. cit. p. 156. In Quenstedt 1, 1048. Baier-Walther II, 325 sq. Cf. Luther's exposition in the Smalcald Articles (315, 21 ff. [Trigl. 485, 21 ff. 🔗]) that Rome invented sins deserving only temporal punishment in order to keep the practice of satisfaction, indulgences and purgatory in operation.
1662) The evidence from the Dordrecht Resolutions and the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterians is printed vol. II, note 1304.
681 ><w:t xml:space="preserve">Actual Sin. [English ed. 569]
as mortal sins: superbia, avaritia, luxuria, ira, gula, invidia, acedia.1663) This list is misleading, because any sin that is held against the admonition of conscience can become a mortal sin.