66 The Caufes and Danger of Self- Deceit. SÈRM. hearts. of men, is an unfairnefs in all their III. enquiries concerning their duty. A man may `""^''ufefully, to the purpofe of difcerning the true moral Bate of his mind, confider two oppo- fite parties or interefts within himfelf; the fu- perior, that of reafon and confcience, which is properly the man ; and the inferior, con - fifting of animal appetites, affeEtions, and paffions. When the latter has got the af- cendant, and the practical determination of the heart is in its favour, points of the higheft moment to the ends of religion and our ra- rional happinefs are againft us ; and there- fore, in our own thoughts, when we cannot avoid confidering them, which is what we would fooneft choofe, we are willing to take all advantages againft them, to obfcure their evidence, to leífen their importance, or, at leaft to weaken their force and influence on our own minds. This is what I call unfair - nefs, a criminal partiality ; we would call it fo in any other cafe ; would we not call him a very unjuft partial man, who fhould enter . into the examination of a caufe between two parties with fuch a leaning to the one as would determine him to lay hold of, to,im- prove, and even ftrain every circumftance to promote his intereft ; and by all the arts he
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