ve
righteousness in them, as all men know.

CHAPTER III.

WHETHER THERE BE ANYTHING INDIFFERENT IN ACTU EXERCITO.

_Sect._ 1. For our better light in this question I will premit these
considerations, 1. When we measure the goodness or the badness of a human
action, we must not only measure it by the object and the end, but by all
the circumstances which accompany it. Fed. Morellus,(1185) upon those
words of Seneca, _Refert quid, cui, quando, quare, ubi,_ &c., saith, that
without those circumstances of things, persons, times, places, _facti
ratio non constat_. Circumstances sometimes _constituunt rerum earum quae
aguntur speciem_, say our divines,(1186) meaning that circumstances do
make an action good or bad. _Humani actus_, say the schoolmen,(1187) _non
solum ex objectis, verum ex circumstantiis boni vel mali esse dicuntur_.
It is not every man's part, saith one of our opposites,(1188) to judge _de
circumstantia, quae reddit actionem vel bonam vel malam_. "Some
circumstances, saith another of them,(1189) are intrinsical and essential
to actions, and specially making up their nature." The principal
circumstances which here we speak of, are comprehended in this versicle:--

Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur quomodo,
quando.

The first circumstance which maketh an action good or bad is _quis_, which
designeth the person: If a magistrate put to death a malefactor, the
action is good; but if a private person put him to death, it is evil.

The second is _quid_, which noteth the quality or condition of the object:
If a man take _sua_, the action is good; if _aliena_, it is evil.

The third is _ubi_: If men banquet in their own houses, the action is
good; if in the church, it is evil.

The fourth is _quibus auxiliis_: If men seek health by lawful means, the
action is good; if by the devil, or his instruments, it is evil.

The fifth is _cur_: If I rebuke my brother for his fault, out of my love
to him, and desire to reclaim him, the action is good; if out of hatred
and spleen, the action is evil.

The sixth is _quomodo_: For he who doth the work of the Lord carefully
doth well; but he who doth it negligently doth evil.

The seventh is _quando_: To do servile work upon the six days of labour,
is good; but to do it upon the Lord's Sabbath, is evil.

2. There is another consideration which followeth upon the former; and it
is this: The goodness or badness of a human action ma