Gospel-revelation in three treatises, viz, 1 The nature of God. 2 The excellencies of…

it seems to promise thee thus and thus much, but it will go quite cross in the conclusion, and will be thy undoing, if thou dost not take heed; and therefore let not any thing in the world be a temptation to thee, for the least sin that possibly may be. I remember Austin in his book about an officious lye, hath this passage; saith he, A man must not tell an officious lye (that is, a lye without an intention to do any body hurt) for the gaining of the world, nay, for the gaining of all the souls in the world, the least sin is a greater evil, than the gain of all the world is a good, because that it is dangerous to the soul, upon that very ground; and therefore it is said of Basil, when the persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that he had, but that did not prevail, then they made him fair proffers, and great advantages that he should have, I but Basil laughed at them, and bid them go and proffer such things to children: So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius, that godly man, that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship, The Idolaters ⟨p. 367⟩afterwards came upon him, and put him to extremity of torments, and set children upon him to rake his flesh with their knives, but at length they would be content if he would but give never so little for the building up of the Idol Temple again, to let him go free, No, saith he, not one half-penny. Certainly this point will be enough to justify any that shall lose estate, or endure any thing in the world, rather than do any thing that may in the least degree hazard their souls: And so that Martyress Juletta, when one accused her, and said, that she was a Christian, nay, then saith the Judge, you must not have liberty of the Law, No, saith she, then farewell riches, and life, and all; she would be sure to keep her soul safe, whatsoever became of all other things.

it seems to promise thee thus and thus much, but it will go quite cross in the conclusion, and will bee thy undoing, if thou dost not take heed; and therefore let not any thing in the world bee a temptation to thee, for the least sin that possibly may bee. I remember Austin in his book about an officious lye, hath this passage; saith hee, A man must not tell an officious lye (that is, a lye without an intention to do any body hurt) for the gaining of the world, nay, for the gaining of all the souls in the world, the least sin is a greater evil, than the gain of all the world is a good, because that it is dangerous to the soul, upon that very ground; and therefore it is said of Basil, when the persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that hee had, but that did not prevail, then they made him fair proffers, and great advantages that hee should have, I but Basil laught at them, and bid them go and proffer such things to children: So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius, that godly man, that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship, The Idolaters