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attended with any the least degree of success, there being already so many treatifes en CASTLE-BUILDING. What! (fays Mr. Critick CATCHUP) will this paultry CANTAP. pretend to rival the Right Reverend the Bishop of this place, His Grace of that, and the Right Worshipful the Prefident of another? Have we not effays on the non-existence of matter?-On the non-existence of religion?—And rheams on the poffibility of the longitude and perpetual motion? Are not all divine and moral truths reckon'd too difficult to be conceiv'd, and every thing that is incredible, abfurd and unnatural, esteem'd too obvious to be neglected? Are not these things CASTLES IN THE AIR; and are not thé authors fo many VITRUVIUS's in the fcience of CASTLEBUILDING.

I am forry it must be owned, that all this is too true to be gainfaid; but ftill I beg leave to obferve, that this art is of such a various, capacious, anomalous nature, that the rest of the sciences differ not fo much from one another, as this does from itself; and I promise my reader, however whimfical he may find me, he shall never find me either rude or indecent; and tho' I don't care how often he laughs at my own expence, I will take proper precaution to prevent my being the occafion of his doing it at another's. Therefore, as honeft QUINTILIAN fays, Perfeverandum eft, quia cæpimus; you are kindly welcome, gentlemen, and we defire the favour of your company the next chapter.

CHIMERICUS CANTABRIGIENSIS.

LETTER IV. in defence of RELIGION.

B

[The fubject continued from Number VI.]

Y the preceding account the reader will be enabled to conceive, what tumults and distractions will neceffarily fpring up and propagate themselves, were the present fashionable doctrine of fociety being able to fupport itself without re

ligion

ligion as generally received, as it hath been favourably and industriously recommended. For fince the body politick, like, in this as it is in many other particulars, the natural one, fubfifts folely and entirely by the joint labours and mutual good offices of the feveral members, when thofe have detacht and separate views, or (which is ftill worfe) purfue fuch as are inconfiftent with the good of the whole, the confequences will be as full of horror as they are inevitable and not to be repair'd. And this fhews the languid and declining condition that each particular state must be in, and how unlikely it is that it fhould long continue, unlefs the combin'd parts are mov'd and influenc'd by fome higher and more active principle than the mere dread of penal ordinances. Plutarch, in some parts of his writings, has drop'd an expreffion which is as true as it is pertinent to our purpose, viz. " that he would "fooner believe a city might be built without any foundation, "than that a government could be fram'd and preferv'd "without the belief of a Deity."

We took notice above how improbable it was, that the legislative, whether vested in one person or shar'd out to more, fhould enact laws which were extensively useful and fundamentally equitable, but that self would be principally confulted in the planning and univerfally regarded in the execution of them. Let us fuppofe for once, that the law-making power would adapt all its acts as nigh as poffible to the exigences of the government, yet after all, fo many difficulties remain unprovided for, and there are fuch oppofitions to be removed, that the bleffings of a focial life can be but imperfectly guess'd at, as they will be infipidly relifh'd. For, on flight reflection, I believe, it will appear, that publick happiness is as much the effect of kind offices receiv'd and return'd, as it can be of an uniform adherence to the great principle of natural equity. But the defign of laws is not fo much to promote and advance the pofitive happiness of one another by a de claration and enforcement of acts of beneficence, (in which

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man is left, as indeed he ought to be, free and uncompell'd) as they are to be bars against all invasions of natural and acquired property. Whence a remarkable failure in civil арpointments, and (what is the misfortune) fuch a failure it is, as is not to be made up by all the wit and dexterity of the magiftrate. Nothing but religion can fupply the deficiency. When its aid is feasonably call'd in, and skilfully apply'd, 'twill effectually do the business. It is the fenfe of a divine inspection which cements, actuates, and directs all the parts of this very complex machine; without it there could be no adequate reftraint upon vice, nor a fufficient incitement to virtue. For if man's profpect is once bounded by this life, and every wish of his centring in the enjoyment of the good things of it, he would imagine himself no further oblig❜d to contribute towards publick, than as it was the cause of private conveniency. As this proportion vary'd, mens schemes and pursuits would commence and vary accordingly. Hence the neceffity of fome univerfally prevailing tye to draw the union clofer, as well as upon firmer and more folid foundations to establish mens reciprocal engagements, by exciting a sober attention to, and. influencing them to a steady and unwearied profecution of each others welfare.

But tho' civil institutes neither declare nor enjoin the communication of favours and mutual kindneffes, yet it may reasonably be supposed that they fully answer mens purposes in forming them. The following observations, I'm of opi nion, will fet this matter in a clear and fatisfactory light.

I. Since it is the fanctions which create all the reverence that is due to, as alfo which enforce the authority, and induce the obligation of laws, thofe fhould ever exceed the pleasure and profit fuppofed to flow from the breach thereof. Otherwife a charge lies upon man to violate them. And fuch mulets on body, goods, or eftate would be inadequate to the effects they aim'd at,

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II. The finiteness of the powers of the human mind, and the variety of obftructions that lie in the way of their improvement, not only retard the general progrefs in knowledge, but make it impoffible that men fhould in all cafes be able to explore and determine what will make for the good or hurt of each affociating individual: confequently, legiflators can neither fuit their acts to the acquifition of fuch things as may enlarge the credit and influence of fociety, nor always provide against the perplexity and distress it may fometimes be involv'd in either from the agency of natural causes, or the machinations of moral ones.

III. Tho' private happiness is the true ultimate end of each particular act, men notwithstanding take different and fometimes contrary roads to it; which, as they place not their fatisfactions in the fame things, is fcarce to be wonder'd at. Means must ever be conformable to their ends; when those differ, the other cannot be alike.

IV. The happiness or misery from any object or event is univerfally in a compound ratio of the good or evil in fuch object and event and the fufceptibility of the fubject, or as the powers of producing pleasure and pain in one, and the capacity of receiving them in the other.

V. Diversity of opinions concerning the tendencies of actions ever conftitutes a difference in mens defires and averfions, and therefore unequal portions of happiness or mifery consequent upon their gratification or the contrary. For to use the words of the incomparable LOCKE, " as pleasant ❝taftes depend not on the things themselves, but on their "agreeableness to this or that particular palate, wherein is great variety; fo that the greatest happiness confifts in the 66 having thofe things which produce the greatest pleasure, "and in the abfence of thofe which caufe any disturbance, any pain. Now thofe to different men are very different "things. If men in this life only have hope; if in this life ❝ only they can enjoy, 'tis not ftrange nor unreasonable that "they

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❝ they should seek their happiness by avoiding all things "that disease them here, and by pursuing all that delight "them; wherein it will be no wonder to find variety and "difference. For if there be no profpect beyond the grave, "the inference is certainly right, let us eat and drink, let us "enjoy what we delight in, for to morrow we die. This I ❝ think may serve to fhew us the reason why, tho' all mens "defires tend to happiness, yet they are not all mov'd by the "fame object." To which I beg leave to add, that tho' all neceffarily fhun mifery, yet what is mifery to A may not be fo to B, however in a greater or lefs degree, which will operate and make impreffions accordingly. And this clearly evinces, that certain arguments and apprehensions of things, whilft they are of force to convince and deter fome, may be incapable of gaining and holding in others. Whence the impoffibility of making penal affignments exactly proportion'd to the nature and extent of mens demerits.

But fhould we fuppofe this inconveniency got over, and that human laws dealt out punishments precifely adapted to the malignity of the deviation, yet how many ways have crafty and defigning rogues to escape by? And how often would an offender go on offending, and after having pass'd thro' a whole scene of villainy leave the stage with much feeming ferenity and composure of mind; a wordly-minded man ftimulated by the pleafing profpect of gain, and one whom the hopes of impunity have fupported and encouraged to proceed with setting danger at a distance, will certainly attempt to throw open the facred enclosure of right, and break thro' all establishments, if he is likely to find his advan tage by it.

[To be continued.

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PATHETICK

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