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The Duties of Maintaining Society not always preferable to those of Temperance, Modesty, &c. What Du∣ties of Justice ought to take place of Others.
PErhaps it may be ask'd, a 1.1 Whether the Duties of this Society, which is thus agreeable to the Di∣ctates and Principles of Nature, ought always to be prefer'd before the Duties of Temperance, De∣cency and Moderation? Indeed I think not: For
some things there are so highly scandalous and a∣bominably wicked, that a wise Man would hardly be guilty of 'em, supposing he could bring Safe∣ty to his Country by it. a Pesidonius has heap'd up a great many Instances of things of this nature; some of which are so very filthy, and intolerably obscene, that 'tis a shame ev'n so much as to re∣peat 'em after him. These then must never be done for one's Country; nor will one's Country e∣ver desire that they should; for the best on't is, 'tis impossible such a Conjuncture should happen, as that it should be profitable for any Republick, to have wise Men be guilty of such abominable Actions. We may lay down this then for a cer∣tain Conclusion, That when several Duties come into competition, those should take place before a∣ny others, which relate to the Maintenance of Hu∣man Society. For wise and considerate Acting is the End of all Knowledge and prudent Thinking; and c 1.2 by consequence that is more valuable than this. And so much may suffice upon this Subject; for, I think, I have sufficiently clear'd the way, so that hereafter there will be no difficulty, to know which Duties are to be preferr'd before which. But those very Duties which relate to Society, are of different Rates and Degrees among themselves; but 'tis no hard matter to see in what Order they b 1.3
ought to be perform'd: as in the first place, Those to the Immortal Gods. Secondly, To our Native Country. Thirdly, To our Parents; and so on to all others in their respective places. What has been said in a few Words on this last Head, I hope, is sufficient to make it appear, that 'tis usual for Men not only to doubt, Whether such and such an Action be Honest or Dishonest; but also, Of two, that are both of 'em Honest, which is the most so. This is one of those two Heads, which I at first observ'd were omitted by Panaetius: Let us now pass on to the remaining part of our propos'd Division.
Having determin'd the former Question in favour of Ju∣stice, he now proposes a second, Whether the Duties of Ju∣stice ought always to be preferr'd before those of Tempe∣rance? He thinks not, and gives his Reasons.
According to the Maxim of the Philosophers, The End is always more valuable than that, which is only done for the sake of the End.
An eminent Stoick, Schollar of Panaetius; he was born at Apamea, a Town in Syria, but liv'd at Rhodes, where Panaetius had been before him. [See chap. 2. Book 3.] He was one of Cicero's Masters, who some where calls him, Vel omnium Stoicoram maximum. Pompey the Great, in his re∣turn from the Asian Wars, went to Rhodes on purpose to hear him. His Works are lost.