James 1:15

15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Ver. 15. When lust hath conceived ] As the plot of all diseases lies in the humours of the body; so of all sin, in the lust of the soul. There is in it a πανσπερμια , a tacit consent, a seed plot of all sin. a The Papists say (but falsely) that it is the smallest of all sins, not deserving any more of God’s wrath than only a want of his beatific presence, and that too without any pain or sorrow of mind from the apprehension of so great a loss. There are also of ours that say, That it is not forbidden by the law; but sure we are, it is cursed and condemned (and therefore forbidden) by the law.

a Empedoclis vocabulum apud Aristot.