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Show 174 A Relation of the Spanifll Vgage: m Crueltie: in the Weft-Indies. have gotten by unlawful ways of Robbery or Exter; tion. If Chrii‘tians follow the ev11 Cultoms of In; fidels, or tolerate 'em when they can hinder 'em, 17; ought always to chufe that which is the lealt dan- gerous, according to that Maxim of St. Auguflin they manifel‘tly render themfelves,AccOmphcesm in his penitential Book, Take what is certain, and have what: is uncertain. the Crimes of thofe Idolaters, betaufe we are _ob- The Rules of the Civil Law, which are coni‘ir‘n'i'd lig'd by the Divine Law to abllain from fuchAé'nons as may occafion Scandal, or any way injure the temporal or fpiritual Welfare of our Neighbor. For this reafon St. Paul commanded Chriitians not to eat things olfer'd to Idols, left it fhould be thought they approv'd of thofe damnable Sacrifices; tho they might eat of thofe very meats, provided the Pagans did not fee 'em, and fo were not fcandaliz'd by the Aétion. All Chriflians are oblig'd by the Divine Word to do what in 'em lies for the Abolition of linful Cuftoms, or at lealt to abitain from 'em, and dif‘ approve 'em themfelves. And when a man doubts whether any Action he is about to do 15 mil or imult, he can't do it with a good Confcience: this is a general Rule that admits of no exception, becaufe Chriitians are oblig'd by the Doé'crin of the Gofpel, rather to lofe all they have than to commit the leall Sin. Therefore while the Mind hefitates and doubts, whether the Action on which one thinks he fin or no, we ought necelfarily to abftain from it. The very defire of doing fuch an Aétion is contrary to right Reafon, and to the Love of God-, becaufe it Would be to expofe one's {elf to the hazard of tranfgrefling the Divine Will, to do that concernmfw which one labors under an uncertainty whether It be lawful or forbidden. And the Doubt, when one thus ventures to fin, is no longer a mere Doubt, but mol‘t certainly becomes an Offence againfi god: becaufe we are always oblig'd to take the lafefl courfe. When it falls out that we meet With two ways, and are uncertain Which is the righthgigf Q .. by Reafon, by the Law of Nature, and that of Chriftian Charity, admit of a Difpenfation in fome cafes, when there is a profpeEt of fome great Good, to which a greater itriétnefs would probably be prejudicial. But 'tis a general Rule, that when a Man deliberates on two doubtful things, he is to determin his choice on that lide where he may avoid Sin, where there are the feweft Inconveniences, and where his Neighbour's Intereft runs the leafl: hazard. Upon this Principle, Clergy-men ought not to be oblig'd to retire and live feparatly from their Mothers, Grandmothers or Sifters, or to for- fake their Father's Houfe; becaufe fuch :1 Separation may be very difadvantagious to "em, tho there may pollibly be fome Inconvenience likewife in their dwelling together, That man retains a thing with an evil Confcience, about which he is in doubt whether it be lawfully gotten, or which he has receiv'd of one who had {10 right to it, or who had, reafon to doubt whether it belong'd to him or no. Whatever is poll'efs'd under fuch circuinftances, is kept contrary to the Rules of Juitice, and again‘ft both the Law of God and Nature. Therefore the Spaniards who keep Ehofe Indian: in flaVery, concerning whom they are In doubt whether they have bin bought, or given t0 thofe of whom they had 'em, act contrary to lllhce and to the Law of God, in retaining 'em While under this doubt. Every one knows that a man Is oblig'd to reltore Whatever he does not law- HY POHefi, and whatever he has receiv'd from one tat had no jufl: right to it, becaufe a man can‘t ( GET; iii 1‘: - |