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CHA P. XII.

SPE

SLANDER.

PEAKING is acting, both in philofophical ftrictness, and as to all moral purposes; for, if the mischief and motive of our conduct be the fame, the means which we use make no differ

ence.

And this is in effect what our Saviour declares, Matt. xii. 37: "By thy words, thou shalt be justi"fied, and by thy words thou fhalt be con"demned:" by thy words, as well, that is, as by thy actions; the one fhall be taken into the account, as well as the other; for they both poffefs the fame property of voluntarily producing good for evil.

Slander may be diftinguished into two kinds, malicious flander, and inconfiderate flander.

Malicious flander, is the relating of either truth or falsehood, for the purpose of creating mifery.

I acknowledge that the truth or falfehood of what is related varies the degree of guilt confiderably; and that flander in the ordinary acceptation of the term, fignifies the circulation of mifchievous falfehoods: but truth may be made inftrumental to the fuccefs of malicious defigns as well as falsehood; and if the end be bad, the means cannot be innocent.

I think the idea of flander ought to be confined. to the production of gratuitous mifchief. When we have an end or intereft of our own to ferve, if we attempt to compafs it by falfehood, it is fraud; if by a publication of the truth, it is not without fome additional circumftance of breach of promife, be

traying

traying of confidence, or the like, to be deemed criminal.

Sometimes the pain is intended for the perfon to whom we are speaking; at other times an enmity is to be gratified by the prejudice or difquiet of a third perfon. To infufe fufpicions, to kindle or continue difputes, to avert the favour and efteem of benefactors from their dependants, to render fome one whom we diflike contemptible or obnoxious in the public opinion, are all offices of flander; of which the guilt must be measured by the intensity and extent of the misery produced.

The difguifes under which flander is conveyed, whether in a whisper, with injunctions of fecrecy, by way of caution, or with affected reluctance, are also many aggravations of the offence, as they indicate more deliberation and defign.

Inconfiderate flander is a different offence, although the fame mifchief actually follow, and although the mifchief might have been foreseen. The not being confcious of that defign, which we have hitherto attributed to the flanderer, makes the difference.

The guilt here confifts in the want of that regard to the confequences of our conduct, which a juft affection for human happiness and concern for our duty would not have failed to have produced in us. And it is no answer to this crimination to fay, that we entertained no evil defign. A fervant may be a very bad fervant, and yet feldom or never defign to act in oppofition to his master's intereft or will; and his mafter may juftly punish fuch fervant for a thoughtleffness and neglect nearly as prejudicial as deliberate difobedience. I accufe you not, he may fay, of an exprefs intention to hurt me; but had not the fear of my difpleasure, the care of my interest, and indeed all the qualities which conftitute the merit of a good fervant, been wanting in you, they would not only have excluded every direct

purpose

purpose of giving me uneafinefs, but have been fo far present to your thoughts, as to have checked that unguarded licentioufnefs, by which I have fuffered fo much, and inspired you in its place with an habitual folicitude about the effects and tendency of what you did or faid. This very much refembles the cafe of all fins of inconfideration; and, amongst the foremost of these, that of inconfiderate flander.

Information communicated for the real purpose of warning or cautioning is not flander.

Indifcriminate praise is the oppofite of flander, but it is the oppofite extreme; and, however it may affect to be thought excess of candour, is commonly the effufion of a frivolous understanding, or proceeds from a fettled contempt of all moral diftinctions.

MORAL

MORAL PHILOSOPHY.

воок III.,

PART III.

RELATIVE DUTIES WHICH RESULT FROM
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SEXES.

HE conftitution of the fexes is the foundation

TH of marriage.

Collateral to the fubject of marriage, are fornication, seduction, adultery, incest, polygamy, divorce. Confequential to marriage, is the relation and reciprocal duty of parent and child.

We will treat of these fubjects in the following or der: firft, of the public ufe of marriage inftitutions; fecondly, of the fubjects collateral to marriage, in the order in which we have here propofed them; thirdly, of marriage itfelf; and lastly, of the rela tion and reciprocal duties of parents and children.

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СНА Р. І.

OF THE PUBLIC

USE OF MARRIAGE

INSTITUTIONS.

T

HE public ufe of marriage inftitutions con fifts in their promoting the following benefi cial effects:

1. The private comfort of individuals, especially of the female fex. It may be true, that all are not interested in this reafon : nevertheless, it is a reason to all for abstaining from any conduct which tends in its general confequence to obftruct marriage; for whatever promotes the happiness of the majority is binding upon the whole.

2. The production of the greatest number of healthy children, their better education, and the making of due provifion for their fettlement in life.

3. The peace of human fociety, in cutting off a principal fource of contention, by affigning one or more women to one man, and protecting his exclufive right by fanctions of morality and law.

4. The better government of fociety, by diftributing the community into feparate families, and appointing over each the authority of a master of a family, which has more actual influence than all civil authority put together.

5. The fame end, in the additional fecurity which the ftate receives for the good behaviour of its citizens, from the folicitude they feel for the welfare of

their

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