3IO Mr. Turner on Crimes and Punijhments. 



authors of them, and to the fociety of which 

 they are members. 



Since, then, our errors may produce fo im- 

 portant efFeds to ourfelves, and thofe with 

 whom we are concerned,. it is of the greatefl: con- 

 fequence that we fhould early corredl all fuch as 

 may lead to hurtful actions. This will be beft 

 efFeded, by confidering attentively our various 

 relations with refpeft to other beings, the advan- 

 tages we derive from fuch relations, and the 

 duties incumbent upon us in confequence of 

 thern. 



Now we fhall find, that when man was firfl; 

 created, he was placed in a world fo conftituted, 

 as that, by the pradice of certain pcrfonal and 

 relative duties, he might beft promote his own 

 happinefs, and that of his fellovz-creatures. He 

 was thus made fubjed to a moral law, engraven, 

 as it were, upon his mind, for the due obfer- 

 vance of which he was left accountable to his 

 Almighty Creator. But in procefs of time, as 

 mankind multiplied upon the earth, and viola- 

 tions of this original rule of adion increafed 

 continually in frequency and enormity, it became 

 necefTary for men to unite together, in diftind 

 and feparate bodies, for mutual protedion and 

 defence : and hence v/ould arife the firft forms of 

 civil focit-ty. 



Thus we find, that the human race are fubjed 

 and accountable to a moral, and a political law. 



At 



