鐔津文集 6.26

6.26

有形之惡小也。不形之惡大也。有名之善次也。無名之善至也。有名之善。教而後仁者也。無名之善。非教而仁者也。有形之惡殺人者也。不形之惡讒人者也。讒人之惡存其心。殺人之惡存其事。事可辦而心不可見也。教者情也。非教者性也。情可移而性不可變也。玩隣人之子也好語誘之可以喜。惡語激之可以怒。及其趨於父母也。雖美惡之言而不能親疎之也。其盜跖饍人肉而人皆能惡之。少正卯顯於朝而眾不能辨之。是故君子善善也。必審其名同。惡惡也。必辨其情異。夫賞罰者所以正善惡也。聰明不能盡其善惡。則不足與議賞罰也故察讒在微。誅讒在持。刑殺宜議。性善者宜任。情善者宜使。察讒不微則不能觀其。心之所之也。誅讒不持則不能遏其大惡也。刑殺不議則不能究其誠也。任性善則安危不振也。使情善則威福不專也。善善得其宜也。則大賢盡其德而小賢盡其才也。惡惡得其所也。則讒人悛其心而殺人伏其罪也。孰有正善惡而治道不至乎哉。

Evil that has physical form is small; evil that has no physical form is great. Good that has a name is secondary; good that has no name is supreme. Good that has a name is being benevolent only after instruction; good that has no name is being benevolent without instruction. Evil that has form is the killing of people; evil without form is the slandering of people. The evil of slandering people resides in their hearts; the evil of killing people resides in their actions. An action can be dealt with, but a heart cannot be seen. What relies on instruction is the emotions; what does not rely on instruction is human nature. Emotions can shift, but nature cannot change. Tease a neighbor's child: enticing him with fine words can make him glad, while provoking him with harsh words can make him angry. Yet when he runs to his parents, neither fine nor harsh words can make him feel closer or more distant. Robber Zhi feasted on human flesh, and everyone could hate him; Shaozheng Mao was prominent at court, and the multitude could not discern him. For this reason, when the gentleman approves of the good, he must examine whether their reputations are alike; when he detests evil, he must discern whether their hidden dispositions differ. Rewards and punishments are that by which good and evil are rectified. If one's intelligence cannot fully penetrate their good and evil, one is not qualified to deliberate on rewards and punishments. Therefore, scrutinizing slander lies in subtlety; executing slanderers lies in resoluteness; corporal punishment and execution should be deliberated; those whose nature is good should be appointed; those whose emotions are good should be employed. If scrutinizing slander is not subtle, one cannot observe where their hearts tend; if executing slanderers is not resolute, one cannot halt their great evil; if corporal punishment and execution are not deliberated, one cannot investigate their truth. If those whose nature is good are appointed, then safety and danger will not falter; if those whose emotions are good are employed, then authority and blessings will not be monopolized. When approving the good attains its proper fitness, then great worthies will exhaust their virtue and lesser worthies will exhaust their talents. When detesting evil finds its proper place, then slanderers will reform their hearts and murderers will submit to their punishment. Whoever rectifies good and evil thus, how could the way of governance fail to reach the utmost?