lixity proportioned much more to the fubtlety of the queftion, than to its value and importance in the prosecution of the subject. A writer upon the law of nature*, whose explications in every part of philofophy, though always diffuse, are often very fuccefsful, has employed three long fections in endeavouring to prove that "permiffions are not laws." The difcuffion of this controversy, however effential it might be to dialectic precifion, was certainly not neceffary to the progrefs of a work defigned to defcribe the duties and obligations of civil life. The reader becomes impatient when he is detained by difquifitions which have no other object than the fettling of terms and phrafes; and, what is worse, they for whose use such books are chiefly intended, will not be perfuaded to read them at all.

I am led to propose these ftrictures, not by any propensity to depreciate the labours

* Dr. Rutherforth, author of "Inftitutes of Natural "Law."

of my predeceffors, much lefs to invite a comparison between the merits of their performances and my own; but folely by the consideration, that when a writer offers a book to the public, upon a subject on which the public are already in poffeffion of many others, he is bound by a kind of literary juftice to inform his readers, diftinctly and fpecifically, what it is he profeffes to supply, and what he expects to improve. The imperfections above enumerated are thofe which I have endeavoured to avoid or remedy. Of the execution the reader muft judge: but this was the defign.

Concerning the principle of morals it would be premature to speak; but concerning the manner of unfolding and explaining that principle, I have fomewhat which I wish to be remarked. An experience of nine years in the office of a public tutor in one of the universities, and in that department of edu cation to which these chapters relate, afforded me frequent occafions to obferve, that in

dif

difcourfing to young minds upon topics of morality, it required much more pains to make them perceive the difficulty, than underftand the folution; that, unless the subject was fo drawn up to a point, as to exhibit the full force of an objection, or the exact place of a doubt, before any explanation was entered upon-in other words, unless fome curiosity was excited before it was attempted to be fatisfied, the labour of the teacher was loft. When information was not desired, it was feldom, I found, retained. I have made this obfervation my guide in the following work: that is, upon each occafion I have endeavoured, before I fuffered my felf to proceed in the difquifition, to put the reader in complete poffeffion of the queftion; and to do it in the way that I thought most likely to ftir up his own doubts and folicitude

about it.

In pursuing the principle of morals through the detail of cafes to which it is applicable, I have had in view to accommodate both the choice

b 3

choice of the subjects, and the manner of handling them, to the fituations which arife in the life of an inhabitant of this country, in these times. This is the thing that I think to be principally wanting in former treatises; and perhaps the chief advantage which will be found in mine. I have examined no doubts, I have difcuffed no obscurities, I have encountered no errors, I have adverted to no controverfies, but what I have seen actually to exift. If fome of the questions treated of appear to a more inftructed reader minute or puerile, I defire such reader to be affured that I have found them occafions of difficulty to young minds; and what I have obferved in young minds, I should expect to meet with in all who approach these subjects for the first time. Upon each article of human duty, I have combined with the conclufions of reason the declarations of scripture, when they are to be had, as of co-ordinate authority, and as both terminating in the fame fanctions.

the manner of the work, I have endeavoured fo to attemper the oppofite plans above animadverted upon, as that the reader may not accuse me either of too much haste, or too much delay. I have bestowed upon each subject enough of differtation to give a body and substance to the chapter in which it is treated of, as well as coherence and perspicuity on the other hand, I have feldom, I hope, exercised the patience of the reader by the length and prolixity of my effays, or difappointed that patience at last by the tenuity and unimportance of the conclufion.

There are two particulars in the following work for which it may be thought neceffary that I fhould offer fome excuse. The first of which is, that I have fcarcely ever referred to any other book, or mentioned the name of the author whofe thoughts, and fometimes, poffibly, whofe very expressions I have adopted. My method of writing has conftantly been this; to extract what I could from my own flores and my own reflections