culty of the Times. It is a Certain Rule, 'tis true (but a General One) That No Ill is tobe done that Good may come of it: Now the Point will be at laſt, what's Simply Good or Evi]; What in the Contemplation; and how far the Intention, or the Probable Conſequences of ſuch, or ſuch an Action, may Qualifie the Caſe: Taking This Conſideration along with us too, that we are under a Great Temptation to be Partial in favour of our ſelves, in the Matter of Eaſe, Profit, or Safety.
The Firſl Point to be Preſerv'd Sacred, and from whence a Man is never to Depart, though for the Saving of his Life, Liberty, Popular Credit, or Eſtate; That Firſt Point, I ſay, is Conſcience. Now All Duties are Matter of Conſcience, reſpectively to the Subject that they are Exercis'd upon; Only with This Reſtriction, that a Superior Obligation Diſcharges, or at leaſt Suſpends the Force of an Inferior: As to ſuch a Circumſlance for the Purpoſe, ſuch a Degree, or ſuch a Seaſon. Now there are other Niceties alſo, as of Honour, Decency, and Diſcretion, Humanity, Modeſty, Reſpect, &c. that Border even upon the Indiſpentable Tyes of Religion it ſelf; and though they are Not Matter of Conſcience, Simply, and Apart, they are yet to Reductively, with a Regard to Other Conſiderations: That is to ſay, though they are Not ſo in the Abſract, they Become ſo by Affinity and Connexion: And ſuch Civil Matters they are, as fall within the Purlews of Religion. There are Tryals of Men, as well as Tryals of Trees. Storms or Inundations are the ſame Thing to the One, that the Iniquity of ſuch or ſuch an Age, or Conjuncture, is to the Other. Now 'tis not Courage but Stomach, that makes many People Break, rather then they will Bend; even though a Yielding upon That Pantillo (and with a Good Conſcience too) might perhaps have ſav'd a State. Fractures Undoubtedly are Dangerous, where the Publick is to be Cruſh’d under the Ruine: But yet after All This Deſcanting, and Modifying upon the Matter, there's no leſs Hazzard on the Yielding-ſide too, then there is on the other. Men may be Stiff and Obſtinate, upon a Wrong Ground, and Men may Ply, and Truckle too, upon as Falſe a Foundation. Our Bodies may be forc'd, but our Minds Cannot: So that Humane Frailty is No Excuſe for a Criminal Immorality. Where the Law of God and Nature Obliges me, the Plea of Humane Frailty can Never Diſcharge me. There's as much Difference betwixt Bending and Sinking,as there is betwixt Breaking and Bending. There muſt be no Contending with Inſuperable Powers on the One Hand, and no Departing from Indiſpenſable Duties on the Other: Nor is it the Part, either of a Chriſtian, or of a Man, to Abandon his Poſt. Now the Juſt Medium of This Caſe lies betwixt the Pride, and the Abjection of the Two Extreams. As the Willow, for the Purpoſe, Bows, and Recovers, and the Reſignation is Crown'd and Rewarded in the Succeſs. The Oak is Stubborn, and Inflexible, and the Puniſhment of That Stiffneſs, is One Branch of the Allegory of This Fable.
FAB.
