CHAPTERXVI. IIÏ single view take in a variety of objects; or at least when the mind can apply itselfto several objects with so swift a succession, and in so few moments, as attains almost the same ends as if it wereall done in the same instant. This is a necessary qualification inorder to great knowledge and good judgment : for there are several things in human life, in religion, and in thesciences, whichhave various circumstances, appendices and relations attending them ; and without a survey of all those ideas which stand in connection with, and relation to each other, we are often in danger of passing a false judgment on the subject proposed. It is for this reason there are so nu- merous controversies found among the learned and unlearned world, in matters of religion as well as in the affairs of civil government. as The notions of sin, and duty to ,God and our fellow - creatures ; of law, justice, authority, and power ; of covenant, faith, justification, redemption, and grace ;, of church, bishop, presbyter, ordination, &c. contain in them such coin- plicated ideas, that when we are to judgeof any thing concern- ing them, it is hard to take into our view at once all the atten- dants or consequents that must and will be concerned in the determination of a single question : and yet without a due atten- tion to many, or most of these, we are in danger of determining that question amiss. It is owing to the narrowness of our minds, that we are exposed to the same peril in the matters of human duty and prudence. In many things which we do, we ought not only to consider the mere naked action itself but the persons who act, the persons toward whom, the time when, the place where, the manner how, the end for which the action is done, together with the effects that must or that may follow, andall other surround- ing circumstances : these things must necessarily be taken into our view, in order to determine whether the action, which is in- different in itself, be either lawful or unlawful, good or evil, wise or foolish, decent or indecent, proper or improper, as it is so circumstantiated. Let me give a plain instance for the illustration of this mat- ter. Mariokills a dog, which considered merely in itself, seems to be an indifferent action : now the degwas Timon's and not his own ; this makes it look unlawful. But Timon bid hiin do it; this gives it an appearance of lawfulness again. It was done at church, and in time of divine service: these circumstances added, cast on it an air of irreligion. But the dog flew at Mario, and put him in danger of his life; this relieves the seeming impiety of the action. Yet Mario might have escaped by flying thence ; therefore the action appears to be improper. But the dog' was known to be mad ; this further circumstance makes it almost necessary that the dog should be slain, lest he
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