32. But, as for that which is
written, that God did good to the Hebrew midwives, and to Rahab the
harlot of Jericho,2444
this was not because they lied,
but because they were merciful to
God’s people. That therefore
which was
rewarded in them was, not their
deceit, but their
benevolence; benignity of
mind, not
iniquity of
lying.
2445
For, as it
would not be marvellous and absurd if
God on account of
good works after done by them should be willing to
forgive some
evil works at another time before
committed, so it is not to be
marvelled at that
God beholding at one time, in one cause, both
these, that is, the thing done of
mercy and the thing done of
deceit, did both
reward the good, and for the sake of this good
forgive that
evil. For if
sins which are done of
carnal
concupiscence, not of
mercy, are for the sake of after works of
mercy remitted,
2446
why are
not those through merit of
mercy remitted which of
mercy itself are
committed? For more grievous is a
sin which with purpose of
hurting, than that which with purpose of helping, is
wrought. And
consequently if that is
blotted out by a
work of
mercy thereafter
following, why is this, which is less heinous, not
blotted out by
the
mercy itself of the man, both going before that he may
sin, and
going along with him while he
sins? So indeed it may seem: but in
truth it is one thing to say, “I ought not to have
sinned, but I
will do works of
mercy whereby I may
blot out the
sin which I did
before;” and another to say, “I ought to
sin, because I cannot
else show
mercy.” It is, I say, one thing to say, “Because we
have already
sinned, let us do good,” and another to say, “Let
us
sin, that we may do good.” There it is said, “Let us do
good, because we have done
evil;” but here, “Let us do
evil
that good may come.”
2447
And, consequently, there we have
to drain off the sink of sin, here to beware of a doctrine which
teacheth to sin.
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