A77976:466
The Evil of Evils
The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is showed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poison, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwin, William Bridge, Sydrach Simpson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nigh, John Yates.The eighth book of Mr Jeremiah Burroughs. Being a treatise of the evil of evils, or the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Wherein is shewed, 1 There is more evil in the least sin, than there is in the greatest affliction. 2 Sin is most opposite to God. 3 Sin is most opposite to mans good. 4 Sin is opposite to all good in general. 5 Sin is the poyson, or evil of all other evils. 6 Sin hath a kind of infiniteness in it. 7 Sin makes a man conformable to the Devil. All these several heads are branched out into very many particulars. / Published by Thomas Goodwyn, William Bridge, Sydrach Sympson, William Adderly, [double brace] William Greenhil, Philip Nye, John Yates.
London: printed by Peter Cole, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
by that liberty they come to be under bondage, under slavery to the Devil All wicked men that think much to obey God, they must be obedient one way or other; we must be all servants, and obedient either to the Will of God, or the Devil: which is best then? Wicked men think it a brave life that they may have their own will; true, if they might have their own will, they might think it a brave life: but know, you have rather the will of the devil than your own, in that you do his will, you fulfil the will of the devil. To be in slavery, not only to the devil, but to any man, is a great evil, to be at the will of man, yea, to be at the will of a good man is an evil: I should be loth to live in any such Commonwealth, as that I should be under the will of man in it, any further than might be revealed and bounded by some set Law. The difference between a Slave and a Subject is this, A Slave is such a one as lives under Arbitrary Government, that is the WILL of such as are in Authority, is their Law, and they are ruled by no other Law ⟨p. 366⟩but by the Will of such as Govern them, there is no Law set, to know when they shall offend, and when not; but when their Rulers say, this is an offence, that his will is crossed, that is an offence, and they be therefore punished: But now Subjects, they be bound to no obedience to any man, any further than some set Law doth require their obedience; that is a Subject, and that is the very difference between a Slave and a Subject. If men in Authority should command any thing, though good (I mean only indifferent) yet I am not bound in conscience to obey at all, because they command, except it be by a Law, except they command it by a Law: if he command it merely as his Will, and only say, I Will, here is no tie upon the conscience. It is ordinary for people to think, if men in Authority command, they will have such a thing done, Oh say they, Authority commands: We deny it, Authority commands nothing but what it commands by a Law; and then we are bound to obey, or to suffer, if it be a Law once: but if it be not a Law, though it should be the will of men in Authority, it doth not bind us at all, till it come to be a Law, any further than there is Equity it self in the thing, in its own Nature: for then doth a People come to be in slavery when they come to be subject to the will of men without a Law. Now Brethren thus;
by that libertie they come to be under bondage, under slavery to the Devil All wicked men that think much to obey God, they must be obedient one way or other; we must be all servants, and obedient either to the Will of God, or the Devil: which is best then? Wicked men think it a brave life that they may have their own will; true, if they might have their own will, they might think it a brave life: but know, you have rather the will of the devil than your own, in that you do his will, you fulfil the will of the devil. To be in slaverie, not only to the devil, but to any man, is a great evil, to be at the wil of man, yea, to be at the will of a good man is an evil: I should be loth to live in any such Commonwealth, as that I should be under the will of man in it, any further than might be revealed and bounded by some set Law. The difference between a Slave and a Subject is this, A Slave is such a one as lives under Arbitrary Government, that is the WILL of such as are in Authority, is their Law, and they are ruled by no other Law