Sinfulness of sin - Venning - VI - Section 3 continued

Required reading
Sinfulness of sin by Ralph Venning (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example).  Continue reading Section Three by reading Point Three, 'The witness of men'.

My summary
Venning continues his section on the witnesses against sin by looking at the witness of both good and wicked men.

Good men witness against sin by condemning the sin of others and their own sin. 

Meanwhile, wicked men witness against sin by being ashamed of their sin.  This is shown by the fact that they:
(i) do not speak openly about it;
(ii) give it another name;
(iii) do it in the dark;
(iv) are tormented while committing sin;
(v) paint it under a form of godliness;
(vi) do not own their sin;
(vii) do not look into their actions;
(viii) punish sin in others to hide their own;
(ix) do good works to cover it;
(x) desire the death of the righteous.

What grabbed me
Venning's point that wicked men also show that sin is wrong was excellent.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone make this point so well. 

One of the ways that is particularly popular today is to give sin another name: 'Sinners dare not commit sin until they have given it a new name. They do not sin under the name and notion of sin. Now, woe unto them! Just as they call good evil, so they call evil good (Isaiah 5.20). Revenge they will not own; they term it a vindication of their honour, a doing right to their reputation. Covetousness, they say, is a sordid thing; theirs is only frugality and good husbandry. Drunkenness is unmanly, it is bestial, they confess; but theirs is only good fellowship in the liberal use of the creature. Pride must be called decency and being in the fashion. Fornication is only a trick of youth, or gratifying nature. Thus men disguise sin, for surely, were they to call it by its own name and look it in the face, they know they should find it such an ugly hag as was not fit for the embraces of men, no, not even of devils. This practice of giving new names to sin condemns it.'

Adultery isn't adultery, it is an 'affair'.  A little drunk isn't drunk, it is 'tipsy'.  Pride isn't pride, it is 'good self-esteem'.  Gossip isn't gossip, it is 'news'.

Next week's reading
Continue Reading Section 3 by reading Points 4, 5 and 6.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.