Ch. i. Of moral Restraint. 265 



by the extinction or diminution of the passion 

 which causes it; a change, which would probably 

 convert human life either into a cold and cheer- 

 less blank, or a scene of savage and merciless 

 ferocity. 



A careful attention to the remote as well as 

 immediate effect of all the human passions, and 

 all the general laws of nature, leads us strongly 

 to the conclusion, that, under the present consti- 

 tution of things, few or none of them will admit 

 of being greatly diminished, without narrowing 

 the sources of good, more powerfully than the 

 sources of evil. And the reason seems to be 

 obvious. They are, in fact, the materials of all 

 our pleasures, as well as of all our pains ; of all 

 our happiness, as well as of all our misery ; of all 

 our virtues, as well as of all our vices. It must 

 therefore be regulation and direction that are 

 wanted, not diminution or extinction. 



It is justly observed by Paley, that " Human 

 " passions are either necessary to human welfare, 

 " or capable of being made, and in a great ma- 

 " jority of instances are in fact made, conducive 

 " to its happiness. These passions are strong and 

 " general ; and perhaps would not answer their 

 " purpose, unless they were so. But strength 

 " and generality, when it is expedient that par- 

 " ticular circumstances should be respected, be- 

 " come, if left to themselves, excess and misdi- 

 " rection. From which excess and misdirection 

 " the vices of mankind (the causes no doubt of 

 " much misery) appear to spring. This account, 



