A collection of miscellanies consisting of poems, essays, discourses, and letters occasionally written / by John Norris ...

SECT. IV. Corollarys deduced from the whole. The foulness and defor∣mity of sin represented. That it is the greatest of evils. That no Formal sin can be in its self Venial. That in all probability Vindicative Justice is essential to God, hence deduced. A new Hypothesis for the reconciling of eter∣nal Punishments with the Divine Justice. That he who thoroughly understands and actually attends to the Na∣ture of sin cannot possibly commit it.

1. HAving thus far carried on the Theory of sin, we may now sit down, and take an estimate of its Foulness and Deformity. And methinks I am affrighted at the ugliness of the face which I have unmask'd, and am rea∣dy to start back from the distorted and ill∣boding monster. For however the magic of Self-love may reconcile men to their own faults, yet if we set the object at a more conve∣nient distance from the eye, and consider the Nature of sin irrespectively to our selves, 'twill certainly appear according to the precedent measures, to be the most deform'd, monstrous thing, that can either be found or conceiv'd in Nature.

2. For if we consider it in its full latitude, it is the highest 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or Habitude of the will to the worst of objects; than which what can be

imagin'd more monstrous and absurd? If we consider it as a violation of Positive Law, what can be more indecorous than for a Creature to violate the commands, and trample upon the Authority of that awful excellence to whom he owes his life, his motion and his very being? If we consider it as a violation of the Law of Rea∣son, what can be more monstrous and unnatu∣ral than for a man to rebel against the vicarious power of God in his Soul, to refuse to live accord∣ing to that part of him whereby he is a man, to suffer the ferine and brutish part to get the As∣cendent over that which is rational and Divine, to refuse to be govern'd by those sacred Digests which are the Transcripts of the Moral Nature of God, and to act against the very frame and contexture of his being. Lastly, if we consider it as a Transgression against that great and So∣veraign Law of promoting the common Happi∣ness, what a monstrous evil must that be which crosses and opposes the best of ends, and which is also proposed by the best of Beings; that for the interest of an inconsiderable part (com∣monly ones self) justles the great wheel of So∣ciety out of its proper track, that by persuing a lesser in prejudice to a greater good, disturbs the order of things, dislocates the frame, and untunes the Harmony of the universe!

3. We may also hence conclude, that sin is the greatest evil that is, or that can possibly be. For it is contrarily opposed to the greatest pos∣sible

good, and consequently, must needs be the greatest evil. And besides, 'tis that which in no case or juncture whatsoever is to be commit∣ted, and therefore must be the greatest evil; be∣cause otherwise it might happen to come into competition with a greater, and so commence eligible, which is contrary to the supposition. Moreover, the greatness of this evil above all others is à posteriori further confirm'd from the greatness of the Sacrifice required for its attone∣ment. God could not, or at least thought not fit to remit it without the shedding of blood, and that too of the blood of God. So great a Fool is he, so little does he consider, that makes a mock at sin.

4. Again it may be hence collected, that no Formal sin can be in its own nature venial. For according to the former measures every For∣mal sin tho never so small, is a sin against the greatest Charity imaginable. For 'tis against that Charity whereby I ought to promote the ends of God, and prosecute the great interest of the universe. And consequently, cannot be in its own Nature venial, or pardonable without Re∣pentance.

5. Nay may I not further conclude accord∣ing to the preceding measures, that 'tis very probable that no sin could have been pardon'd even with Repentance, had there not been al∣so satisfaction made for it, and that vindicative Justice is essential to the nature of God? For

when I consider sin, I find it so diametrically contrary to the essential sanctity of God, and so destructive of that great End which he can∣not but propose, that he must needs hate it with an infinite hatred. But how he should do so, and yet not punish for it, is hard to under∣stand.

6. Upon these measures we may also find out a way of reconciling eternal punishments with Divine Justice. The great Objection is, what Proportion is there between a transient act of sin and eternal misery? And if there be none, how is it consistent with divine Justice to inflict the one for the other? This has been a great diffi∣culty, and has for a long time stood proof a∣gainst all solutions. But now if we consider sin as contrarily opposed to the greatest possible good, the good of the universe, and consequently as the greatest possible evil, its demerit will be such that we need not fear 'twill be over-punish'd e∣ven with eternal misery. For if any misery is to be endured rather than one sin to be com∣mitted, 'tis also just that any may be, when it is committed. For the equity of both depends upon sin's being the greatest evil.

7. The last Deduction which I shall make from the Premises is this, that he who thorough∣ly understands and actually attends to the nature of sin, cannot possibly commit it. For as long as he does so, he must look upon it as the great∣est evil, otherwise he cannot be said rightly to

understand it. And if he look upon it as the greatest evil he cannot chuse it, so long as he continues in that judgment, because the then chusing it would be the chusing of all that where∣by it exceeds other evils, gratis, which is the chusing of evil as evil, which is impossible.

8. Whosoever therefore consents to the com∣mission of sin passes first a wrong judgment upon it, has the light of his understanding darkned, and intercepted by a cloud of Passion, loses the pre∣sent Conviction of sin's being the greatest evil, and so commits it to avoid (as he then foolishly thinks) a greater. So that the cause and ori∣gine of all sin is ignorance, folly and inadvertence: there is a false Proposition in the understanding before there is any misapplication in the will, and 'tis through the swimming of the head that the feet slip and lose their station. And yet the sinner is no way excusable for this his decep∣tion, because 'tis the ignorance of that which he habitually knows, and he might have attend∣ed better, and 'twas his fault that he did not.

9. And 'tis the recovering and awaking up into this Conviction, that is the Principle of Repen∣tance and reformation of life. When a man by the aid of grace and the use of due attention, resumes his interrupted Judgment of Sins being the greatest evil, he then comes again to him∣self, forms new resolutions never to commit it, and returns to the wisdom of the just.* 1.1 So great reason had the Psalmist to

pray, O grant me understanding and I shall live.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 119.