The Evil of Evils

1 They may think such a sin will help such a Grace, and help against such a temptation, and such a sin may help my humility; and it is ordinary this temptation (when in trouble of Conscience) make away thy self, and then thou wilt sin no more; for so long as I live I shall sin against God, & therefore make away thy self and so cease to sin: But know, if thou lay violent hands upon thy self, and think thou shalt have this good by it to sin no more; yet thy sin is wicked and abominable, though thou put this good end upon it, though it were possible to in crease Grace never so much by the least sinful thought, we must not commit this least sinful thought for never so good an end, as to help forward such a Grace.

1 They may think such a sin will help such a Grace, and help against such a temptation, and such a sin may help my humility; and it is ordinary this temptation (when in trouble of Conscience) make away thy self, and then thou wilt sin no more; for so long as I live I shall sin against God, & therfore make away thy self and so cease to sin: But know, if thou lay violent hands upon thy self, and think thou shalt have this good by it to sin no more; yet thy sin is wicked and abominable, though thou put this good end upon it, though it were possible to in crease Grace never so much by the least sinful thought, we must not commit this least sinful thought for never so good an end, as to help forward such a Grace.

2 A Second end may be to do good to others, and I say if it were possible, if a man might be a means to save the whole world if he would commit one sin, if he could save the whole world from eternal Torments by the Commission of one sin, you should suffer the whole world to perish rather than commit one sin, there is so much evil in sin. It is the expression of Augustine in a Tractate of his concerning an officious Lye, a friend of his wrote to him to Answer this Question about telling of a Lye, Whether he might not tell a Lye, to do good to another man? Many think, What though I do tell a Lye so I do another good; indeed if I may do hurt ⟨p. 20⟩then I must not, but if I may do good, may I not tell a Lye, (well) this Question was brought to Augustine, and saith he, Thou must not tell a Lye to save the whole world: this was his Answer. Suppose that the Soul of thy Father, Mother, or Child, (this is but a supposition) or the like, should lie upon it to be saved, or damned if thou wilt commit one sin, suppose such a temptation should come, thou must not commit one sin, though the soul of thy father or mother, or all the world lay upon it; now it is another manner of thing to commit a sin to gain a groat; Oh now by a deceitful word I may have this gain, if it were twenty shillings, thou must not venture upon sin to save the world; therefore not to gain six pence or a shilling: Certainly these be the truths of God, and for one to come and speak these things in a solemn manner in the presence of God if it were not upon deliberation and good search, it were a great boldness; and therefore certainly believe there is such evil in Sin: and though you pass by a thousand idle thoughts and evil actions and they be gone with you and you make little of them: but if you did know what the evil of Sin were, you would look upon them with amazement, and cry out, Lord what have I done! Men and women go abroad, and before they come home meet with Company, and there swear many Oaths commit lewdness, have told lies, and done wickedness; Oh did they but know what they have done that day, they would come home wringing their hands and ready to tear