PHILOSOPHY, MORAL. 



mine any thing." Were the rules of 

 scripture equally particular, they would 

 be useless from their extent; and they 

 would be injurious too, because they 

 would prevent the reference of our ac- 

 tions to the general principle, and we 

 should be satisfied if our case were not 

 stated in the Christian system of morals. 

 Again, thinu\, it follows, from the 

 Christian precepts being so general, and 

 principally regarding dispositions, that it 

 not unfrequeiuK re-quires some consider- 

 ation to ascertain where they are direct- 

 ly applicable, and still more, whether 

 they altogether coincide wi'di one ano- 

 ther in 'their direction. The virtuous 

 dispositions may dwell together without 

 opposition ; a man may be generous, and 

 grateful, and just : but the actions to 

 which each prompts, may not have that 

 consistency with one another, which 

 would permit of their being brought in- 

 to exercise; thus an external action 

 which generosity and gratitude may so- 

 licit, justice may forbid. Hence it is of 

 great importance to be able to form such 

 a set of decisions, or, still better, such 

 principles for decision as might present 

 themselves when called for, and prevent 

 us from giving to each class of virtuous 

 actions a disproportionate attention ; as 

 should enable us to decide, when actions 

 required it, to which class of virtue our 

 preference should be given, where we 

 ought to restrain the impulse of feeling, 

 and where to allow it to be our unhesi- 

 tating guide. Besides, fourthly, as Pa- 

 ley justly remarks, the scriptures com- 

 monly pre-suppose in the persons to 

 whom they speak a knowledge of the 

 principles of natural justice ; and are em- 

 ployed, not so much in teaching new 

 rules of morality, as in enforcing the 

 practice of it by "new sanctions, and by a 

 greater certainty, which last seems to be 

 the proper business of a revelation from 

 God, and what was most wanted. 



5. But it may be thought there is a 

 principle in the human mind which super- 

 sedes the necessity of moral investigation ; 

 which infallibly directs right even in the 

 most minute circumstances. We know 

 of no such principle. We know that 

 there is a principle which springs up more 

 or less in the mind of every human being, 

 and which prompts to certain actions, and 

 to avoid certain actions ; but we cannot 

 think, that the conscience is to be regard- 

 ed in the light of a blind instinct : this 

 would degrade the moral actions of man 

 to a level with the instinctive actions of 

 U?e brute ; and it is unnecessary to resort 



to the supposition ; Us existence, its va- 

 riations, its effects can be accounted tor 

 without it- See PHILOSOPHY, mental. 



But in whatever light we regard the 

 conscience, it is indisputable that Us dic- 

 tates are not uniformly the same in any 

 mind, and that they are exceedingly va- 

 riable, if not with respect to the grant! 

 principles of duty, with respect to the ap- 

 plication of those principles in different 

 individuals and classes of individuals. H 

 is indisputable, that the moral principle 

 grows to maturity from a small seed. It^ 

 is indisputable that it is susceptible of 

 culture ; that if neglected, its judgments 

 become wavering and impotent ; that it 

 its dictates be made to undergo revision, 

 if corrected by the means of judgment 

 which we possess, if its defects are sup- 

 plied by those extended views of duty, its 

 decisions become more firm, and in gene- 

 ral more efficacious. 



6. Even an ardent desire to keep with 

 exactness the best rules of duty, will not 

 render unnecessary attention to the culti- 

 vation ot the conscience, and must therefore 

 prompt to it. An instance occurs in point. 

 Dr. Cogan.in his Treatise on the Passions, 

 has the following remarks. " An instance 

 of the influence of perverted principle oc- 

 curs to my remembrance, in the conduct 

 of a pious mother towards a most excel- 

 lent and dutiful son, who, from a principle 

 of conscience, in opposition to his inter- 

 ests, renounced the religious system in 

 which he had been educated, for another, 

 which he deemed more consonant to truth. 

 She told him, that she found it her duty, 

 however severe the struggle, to alienate 

 her affections from him, now he had ren- 

 dered himself an enemy to God, by em- 

 bracing such erroneous sentiments. My 

 friend added, that she was completely 

 successful in these pious endeavours ; and 

 that the duty which she enjoined upon her- 

 self was scrupulously performed during the 

 remainder of her days." The same phi- 

 losophic writer adduces another instance 

 of the irregularity of the moral principle, 

 in a young lady, in whose character mild- 

 ness and compassion were pre-eminent 

 features. " I was once passing through 

 Moorfields," says the doctor, " with u 

 young lady, aged about nine or ten years, 

 born 'and educated in Portugal, but in the 

 Protestant faith ; and observing a large 

 concourse of people assembled around a 

 pile of faggots on fire, I expressed a cu- 

 riosity to know the cause. She very com- 

 posedly answered, 1 suppose it is nothing 



