Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

2. Secondly, The temper the Athenians are represented to us in, will help us to guess what Enquiries they would make upon New Emergencies. And our own Reason will tell us that all such Enquiries unbeseem a Christian. Let us view the Athenians in their temper, as Plutarch, Varro, Polybius, Aristophanes and Aristotle, &c. give it us.

2. Secondly, The temper the Athenians are represented to us in, will help us to ghess what Enquiries they would make upon New Emergencies. And our own Reason will tell us that all such Enquiries unbeseem a Christian. Let us view the Athenians in their temper, as Plutarch, Varro, Polybius, Aristophanes and Aristotle, &c. give it us.

1. Very Suspicious and Jealous. Now whatever other Abilities a man may have to make right Enquiries of New Occurrences, this one Vice or Distemper is enough to disturb all; Jealousy will take amiss all that is Good, and suspect 'tis Evil; it will aggravate evil and make it worse than it is: No right judgment is made, or if a man of such temper stumble upon the right nature, tendency, and importance of unusual things reported, yet he cannot fix, or be constant in it.

1. Very Suspitious and Jealous. Now whatever other Abilities a man may have to make right Enquiries of New Occurrences, this one Vice or Distemper is enough to disturb all; Jealousie will take amiss all that is Good, and suspect 'tis Evil; it will aggravate evil and make it worse than it is: No right judgment is made, or if a man of such temper stumble upon the right nature, tendency, and importance of unusual things reported, yet he cannot fix, or be constant in it.

2. The Athenians were naturally prone to Anger, soon took Fire upon what they heard, or saw, and thought to be worthy of their Anger, and this was a perpetual Anger.