4 Sept 1811

Jug Util

B.II. Under Revelation

Ch.5

14

Sinners we are all of us, you miserable sinners: Miserable sinners we are the worst of us, miserable sinners, we are the best of us: /so true is this that/ best, and worst together, every time we go to Church we /make thus confess ourselves so to be, declaring it in so many words for the information of omniscience. Sins we all swarm with yet amidst and notwithstanding all these sins a remnant of us is to be saved. Known /[...?]/ therefore to God to whom every thing that is or hath been or will be is present and certain, certain to God though not to man is a portion of sin which every man without prejudice to /hindrance to the business of/ salvation/ may committ and yet be saved. Here then is a licence for sin a licence /blank/ which it [...?] a man to fill up with a set /list/ of sins at his choice.

Under those circumstances a man whose piety is under the direction of human prudence, will for the filling up his licence make up an assortment of favourite sins suited to his task and circumstances. For the /exercise/ subjects of his religious abstinence he will take those for which he has no relish or least relish. For the subjects of his choice he will take such as he finds most pleasant and such as he thinks most profitable. If among those which are /to his task/ most pleasant he finds any which by /to/ the world the wicked world are objects of peculiar /distinguished/ contempt or abhorrence or contempt, taking up his bible, /and his prayer book/, he will dwell with peculiar complacency on those texts and those papers in which that world itself is represented /presented/ /in no small number and with no slight marks /feint colours// as a fit object of contempt and abhorrence. + If among those which are most pleasant to him, or most profitable he finds any the effect of which may in the character of crimes be to shorten mans days he will find consolation in the precariousness of this transitory life, and its worthlessness in any other character than that of an entrance /approach/ to a life of endless felicity to be earnt by a course of unremitted labours in the vineyard of faith, and the indefatigable repetition of acts of repentance +

Bentham’s marginal note: ‘ + Gostrel. 142.’

26

Though all are miserable sinners, yet by repentance, some are saved.

Hence many sins being commissible with impunity, each man will choose his favourite ones. By the world those transgressions are commonly most reprobated which are most mischievous. Thence by this contempt of the world he will be encouraged to choose among those which are most to his taste the most mischievous. Against those worldly punishments consolation in the shortness of present life and its worthlessness, except as an approach to future d o.