PARTIII
Andfinally，asitisnotenough，beforecommencingtorebuildthehouseinwhichwelive，thatitbepulleddown，andmaterialsandbuildersprovided，orthatweengageintheworkourselves，accordingtoaplanwhichwehavebeforehandcarefullydrawnout，butasitislikewisenecessarythatwebefurnishedwithsomeotherhouseinwhichwemaylivecommodiouslyduringtheoperations，sothatImightnotremainirresoluteinmyactions，whilemyreasoncompelledmetosuspendmyjudgement，andthatImightnotbepreventedfromlivingthenceforwardinthegreatestpossiblefelicity，Iformedaprovisorycodeofmorals，composedofthreeorfourmaxims，withwhichIamdesiroustomakeyouacquainted。
Thefirstwastoobeythelawsandcustomsofmycountry，adheringfirmlytothefaithinwhich，bythegraceofGod，Ihadbeeneducatedfrommychildhoodandregulatingmyconductineveryothermatteraccordingtothemostmoderateopinions，andthefarthestremovedfromextremes，whichshouldhappentobeadoptedinpracticewithgeneralconsentofthemostjudiciousofthoseamongwhomImightbeliving。ForasIhadfromthattimebeguntoholdmyownopinionsfornoughtbecauseIwishedtosubjectthemalltoexamination，IwasconvincedthatIcouldnotdobetterthanfollowinthemeantimetheopinionsofthemostjudicious；andalthoughtherearesomeperhapsamongthePersiansandChineseasjudiciousasamongourselves，expediencyseemedtodictatethatIshouldregulatemypracticeconformablytotheopinionsofthosewithwhomIshouldhavetolive；anditappearedtomethat，inordertoascertaintherealopinionsofsuch，Ioughtrathertotakecognizanceofwhattheypractisedthanofwhattheysaid，notonlybecause，inthecorruptionofourmanners，therearefewdisposedtospeakexactlyastheybelieve，butalsobecauseverymanyarenotawareofwhatitisthattheyreallybelieve；for，astheactofmindbywhichathingisbelievedisdifferentfromthatbywhichweknowthatwebelieveit，theoneactisoftenfoundwithouttheother。
Also，amidmanyopinionsheldinequalrepute，Ichosealwaysthemostmoderate，asmuchforthereasonthatthesearealwaysthemostconvenientforpractice，andprobablythebest（forallexcessisgenerallyvicious），asthat，intheeventofmyfallingintoerror，Imightbeatlessdistancefromthetruththanif，havingchosenoneoftheextremes，itshouldturnouttobetheotherwhichIoughttohaveadopted。AndI
placedintheclassofextremesespeciallyallpromisesbywhichsomewhatofourfreedomisabridged；notthatIdisapprovedofthelawswhich，toprovideagainsttheinstabilityofmenoffeebleresolution，whenwhatissoughttobeaccomplishedissomegood，permitengagementsbyvowsandcontractsbindingthepartiestopersevereinit，oreven，forthesecurityofcommerce，sanctionsimilarengagementswherethepurposesoughttoberealizedisindifferent：butbecauseIdidnotfindanythingonearthwhichwaswhollysuperiortochange，andbecause，formyselfinparticular，Ihopedgraduallytoperfectmyjudgments，andnottosufferthemtodeteriorate，Iwouldhavedeemeditagravesinagainstgoodsense，if，forthereasonthatIapprovedofsomethingataparticulartime，Ithereforeboundmyselftoholditforgoodatasubsequenttime，whenperhapsithadceasedtobeso，orIhadceasedtoesteemitsuch。