Serm.io. it ed betweenMan and Man ? 319 ble well fpoken of, and r : a,icd by'wiie and good teen ( who are theon- ly competent Jucges of thefe things ) if they be not plainly contrary to truth or hone[ y, or juilice, or purity, follow thefe things ; and if this be not the meaning, thofe words lovely, ofgood report, pratre worthy are fuperfluous, and donot at all dire& our converfation, which certainly the Apoiile intended to doby them. 3. We muli make it pracicablc; There are two things which make the pradiife of it difficult. I. A feeming contradi7íio's it the rule. 2. Partiality in judging of tht-, circumflances of other mens conditi- ons and our own. I. A feeming Coneradiaion in the rule ; which you will fee in thefe inflances ; if I delire a thing, I would not have another Eland in compe- tition withme for it, ifanother desire a thing, I would not have him think much, that I !land in competitionwith him ; if I be indebted to another, I would not have him arrefi me ; if another be indebted to me, I would not have him think much that I arreli him ; when we fell we care not howdear,when we buy we care not how cheap ; now if this were a real contradietion in the rule, it were impoffible it fhould beput inpradlice, but it is only a contradietion in our wills, which mull thus be reconciled to the role. I. We mull confider which of thefe roils is moll reafonable, and the greater reafon and equity muff carry it, and that which is plainly unreafonable, in comparifonof theother, is not to be regard- cd ; Ifweconfider the two firtl inftances, this is moll reafonable that where men have an equal right, they fhould be allowed an equal liber- ty to ufe that right ; another man bath as much right to Rand in com- petition with me for any thing,as Ito (land in competition with him, and to arrefl me in cafe of debt as Ito arrefi him, and it is plainly unreafonable that I fhould ufe this right and. another be debarred from it. 2. If both thefe Contradielory wills be plainly unreafonable as in the third inflance of buying andfelling, they mull beaccommodatedby finding out fuch a medium as is equally andmutually good for all buyers and feilers,that is, fuch a proportion of gain may be taken and muff be allowed to be taken, as will be equallyand mutuallygood for all buyers and fellers. 2. Another difficulty in the pra&life of this rule, arifeth frommens partiality in judging of thecircumflances of other mens conditions and their own ; we are apt to leffen the circum(lances of another F f z mans
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