PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

LTtiJity. 67
and pe9ury; or ~ust
j ustify assassinatio~, ~lunder,
we give up our pnnClple, that {be cntenon of nght
is utility ?
It is not necessary to do either"
The true answer is this; that tl!ese agi~. after
all, ar_~llot
ll§eful, 3nd. for that reasoD, an~ !h~
alone; are nQtright.
To see this point perfectly, it must be observed}
that the bad consequ~~e.! of ~~tion are twofoldtl
particulf:!r aJld general. _ .
isV
Th~ pa~cular. bad cons~quence .of ~ aC~bn,
~l1e mIschIef whIch that smg!e actIon directly and
immediately occasions.
_
The general bad consequence is, the violation of/!
some necessary or usefui general rule.
Thus the particular bad consequences of :lbe assassination
above described, are the fright and _ pain
which the deceased underwent; the loss he suffered
of life, which is as valuable to a bad man as to a good
one, or more so;· the prejudice and affiicnon, cf
which his death was the occasion, to his family,
friends, and dependants.
The ge}lef'al bad consequence is the violation of
tol
L~is necessary general rule, that no, man be put
death· for his crimes but by public authority.
Although, therefore, such an action have no particular
bad consequence, or greater particular good
consequences, yet it is not useful by reason of the
general. co~sequence, which is of more iIilp~rtance,
and whIch IS e\,il. And the same of the other twa.
instances, and of a million more, which might be
ment:oned.
But as this solution supposes, that the moral gov ..
ernment of the world must proceed by general rules,
it remains that we shew the necessity of this.