The judgment of non-conformists about the difference between grace and morality

Prop. 24. The Cases of Mans Life, which are more mutable, are the matter of mutable Duty and Sin, which are most usually called Good or Evil per accidens, because that mutable accidents, added to the more constant accidents, make them such by change. And so it is greatly to be noted, that the Act which is a Duty to one Man, in one Place, at one Time, &c. may be a sin to another Man, or at another Time, Place, &c. And that new accidents may again come in, and make that Action, that was a sin, to become again a Duty: And more new accidents may make it a sin again; and so over and over: Even as when you are weighing in the Balance, one Grain may turn the Scales the other way, and two more in the other end may turn them back again; and three more in the other end may yet return them, and so on many times over and over. For Instance, Suppose an honest Man cannot pray without some unseemly faults in utterance; in secret it is his Duty to pray vocally if that most profit and affect his heart; if an exceptious Person be known to over-hear him, it may be a sin to do it audibly: If his Family be capable of bearing it, it is his Duty to do it as he can: If strangers come in that would by scorn make it do more hurt than good, he may be bound to forbear till they are gone: When they are gone it is his Duty again: A Fire breaketh out, or one falleth into a swoon, and it is his Duty to forbear: When that is over, it may be his Duty again, &c.

Prop. 24. The Cases of Mans Life, which are more mutable, are the matter of mutable Duty and Sin, which are most usually called Good or Evil per accidens, because that mutable accidents, added to the more constant accidents, make them such by change. And so it is greatly to be noted, that the Act which is a Duty to one Man, in one Place, at one Time, &c. may be a sin to another Man, or at another Time, Place, &c. And that new accidents may again come in, and make that Action, that was a sin, to become again a Duty: And more new accidents may make it a sin again; and so over and over: Even as when you are weighing in the Ballance, one Grain may turn the Scales the other way, and two more in the other end may turn them back again; and three more in the other end may yet return them, and so on many times over and over. For Instance, Suppose an honest Man cannot pray without some unseemly faults in utterance; in secret it is his Duty to pray vocally if that most profit and affect his heart; if an exceptious Person be known to over-hear him, it may be a sin to do it audibly: If his Family be capable of bearing it, it is his Duty to do it as he can: If strangers come in that would by scorn make it do more hurt than good, he may be bound to forbear till they are gone: When they are gone it is his Duty again: A Fire breaketh out, or one falleth into a swound, and it is his Duty to forbear: When that is over, it may be his Duty again, &c.