of those that do not rise from its attentive perusal with clearer and more defined notions of their re spective rights and duties as men, as subjects, and as Christians. Cambridge, Dec. 6, 1824. MORAL PHILOSOPHY. Q. WHAT is Moral Philosophy? A. It is that science which teaches men their duty, and the reasons of it. Q. How does Paley investigate the principles of this science? A. By dividing his work into the general heads of PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS, MORAL OBLIGATION, RELATIVE DUTIES, DUTIES TO OURSELVES, AND THE CRIMES OPPOSITE TO THESE, DUTIES TOWARDS GOD, AND ELEMENTS OF FOLITICAL KNOWLEDGE. BOOK I. CHAPTER 1. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. Q. WHAT terms have the same import with the definition you have given of moral philosophy? A. Morality, ethics, casuistry, and natural law. B Q. What is the use of such a study as this? A. The rules of life without it oftentimes mislead men, through a defect either in the rule or in the application. Q. Name these rules. A. They are the law of honour, the law of the land, and the Scriptures. CHAPTER II. Q. DEFINE the law of honour? A. A system of rules constructed by people of fashion, for facilitating their mutual intercourse. Q. What duties does this law prescribe? A. Those between equals, omitting those owing to God, and to inferiors. Q. Enumerate some vices, which for this reason are accounted no breaches of honour? A. Profaneness, neglect of devotion, rigorous treatment of servants or tenants, want of charity, injuries to tradesmen by insolvency or delay of payment. Q. Why is this law in most instances favourable to the licentious indulgence of the passions? A. Because it is constituted by men occupied in the pursuit of pleasure, and thus allows of fornication, adultery, drunkenness, duelling, and of extreme revenge. CHAPTER III. Q. Do not those beneath the law of honour, often make the law of the land their rule of life? A. Yes, they are satisfied with the doing or omitting of nothing for which the law can punish them. Q. Under what defects do all human laws labour as a rule of life? A. 1st, They omit many duties as not objects of compulsion, such as piety, bounty to the poor, gratitude, &c. 2ndly, They suffer to go unpunished many crimes, as prodigality, partial voting at elections, capricious testamentary bequests, filial disrespect, &c. Q. Why are those duties, voluntary by their nature, left out of the statute-book? A. Because the law never speaks but to command, nor commands but where it can compel obedience, and these are out of the reach of its operation. Q. When the distinction between right and wrong is too subtile to be ascertained by any preconcerted language, why does the law of most countries leave men to themselves? A. Because the distinction in those cases must be left to the magistrate, which is in effect leaving it to him to punish or not to punish at his pleasure; which is just so much tyranny. CHAPTER IV. Q. STATE the reasons for not expecting to find in the Scriptures a specific direction for every moral doubt that arises. A. The laws in this country, though in fifty folio volumes, do not supply once in ten times the case you look for. Had the same particularity been attempted in the Scriptures, it is manifest they would have been too bulky to be either read or circulated. Q. How then, is morality taught in the Scrip tures ? A. In general rules of piety, justice, benevolence, and purity, laid down and occasionally illustrated by fictitious examples; or in actual instances; or, lastly, in answers to questions proposed to Christ by those about him. Q. Is not this the way in which all practical sciences, as arithmetic, grammar, &c. are taught? A. Yes; rules are laid down and examples are subjoined, not that these examples are the cases, much less all the cases which will actually occur. Q. Why do the Scriptures commonly pre-suppose a knowledge of natural justice? A. Because they are employed not so much to teach new rules of morality, as to enforce it by new sanctions and a greater certainty. Thus, the unjust extortioners, &c. are condemned, supposing it known, |