By these means we have at first only fuch thoughts and inclinations inftilled into our minds as are agreeable to, and for the most part do in fact arise from our particular place and circumstances in the world; and afterwards find room enough others, as thefe grow gradually, and even mechanically from the circumstances we are in, or from thofe objects that more immediately furround and ftrike us; provided that a fuitable attention and regard be paid to each as it prefents itself. For that amidst all. this mechanic apparatus we have fuch a distinct faculty of attending, and determining the fubordinate powers in confequence thereof, as is ftated at large by ABp. King, I must beg leave to fuppofe, till all the various appearances, which feem fo much to require it (of which in the following Note) are folved on other principles; and then indeed this, which, it must be owned, contains fomething inexplicable, will be of courfe excluded. I may add here, that neither are those associations themselves, from whence fome very ingenious perfons would deduce a total mechanism, altogether neceffary; nor we fo far paffive under them, as to be left without a power of curbing and correcting, breaking and eradicating; as well as of contracting them at first, and afterwards confirming them: to affert this would be advancing a new doctrine of habits contrary to the general fenfe and language of mankind. Well then, allowing fuch a degree of liberty, or active power to be joined with the other paffive ingredients in our compofition, as fuch, it must in fome measure act independently on each of them, and be capable of forming new associations from its own proper acts, which will extend to all the reft, and influence them: and yet as it will alfo have fome fuch fort of connection with them all, as to be itfelf *See Hartley's Obfervations on Man, part 1. A book well worth the pains required to understand it, and which I must beg leave to recommend, as exhibiting a very curious hiftory of man's frame, and well founded in the main; though the ingenious author carries fome points, particularly that of mechanifm, farther perhaps, than either experience feems to juftify, or we are at prefent willing to allow. Perhaps it exceeds the power of human understanding to decide where mechanifm ends, and where the liberty of indifference (the only notion of liberty that comes up to the purpose) may be fuppofed to commence. However, it seems clear that fome fhare of each is to be admitted into the human compofition, as well towards folving feveral phænomena, as giving due fatisfaction in the great articles of religion and morals; and that after all the attempts of the most able writers on this fubject, neither principle can be wholly excluded. This appears fufficiently from a late humorous treatife, where the fagacious Mr. Search, in order to reconcile his fcheme to common fenfe, either plays continually on a falfe and foreign notion of freedom, or is forced to adopt a main part of the real fyftem, even while he is endeavouring to exclude it. enough to refine, improve, and enlarge our faculties; to qualify ourselves for, as well as, by a right application of them, to merit fome fuperior station, whenever that fhall become void. How regular and beautiful a fubordination must this foon itself in fome refpect or other influenced by them reciprocally; or (which comes to the fame thing) the mind will be fo far affected in, and through them as to influence it; which we all daily feel: [elfe how come these parts of our conftitution to be conftantly applied to with fuccefs for the determination of it? Why is pain prefent or in profpect used to move a man, or arguments and motives urged, if they are really matters of indifference to his choice, and have no natural effect upon it?] As this grows and gathers ftrength, like all our other faculties; and is equally capable of being impaired, and rectified again: (King. Note X. p. 360. 4th Ed.) As it is limited and fubject to its laws, not perhaps wholly different, though of a kind diftin&t from thofe of the other appetites: (however, fuch as make it no lefs governable, Ibid. c. v. § 5. fub. 4. p. 372, &c. with Notes 69, p. 366, and 70, p. 371.) and cannot go against these appetites without manifeft pain and mifery to the perfon: (Ib. note N. p. 241, &c.) — As it may be inclined, both by them and its own courfe of operation, and will become daily more and more conformed to them, by due regular exercife; which we likewife experience; -its operations will become as much the objects of foreknowledge; nor will it be much lefs easy to account for either the formation, or increase of any particular turn of mind, in any given fituation, than if all were performed in us neceffarily, and at once. This plan of human nature, which derives every thing from a few principles, and yet makes room for that endless variety confpicuous in it, might, I am fenfible, be fet in a good light, and hewn to be free from fome of the greateft difficulties that muft clog all others. In this view, a juft uniformity is, by the Deity, fo far as his immediate acts reach, always, and might be by us, generally, preferved among all its conftituent parts; our talents fuited to our capacity of ufing them; our fphere enlarged, as that increafes; and regularly keeping pace with our improvements; each difpenfation put upon a reasonable foot; and all difcoveries made in due proportion to our qualifications for judging of them, and our difpofitions to apply them. Whereas the contrary fcheme, of bringing all things to an original, equal, and immediate intuition; or of fixing every man to certain impulfes, or inftincts, independent on his ftation and endeavours, and intirely unimprovable by them; this must be quite arbitrary, and in a great meafure ufelefs; and attended with all the inconfiftences and inconveniences already mentioned. Such would the confequences be of that pretended universal equability, in natural religion; nor is the levelling fcheme, fo much contended for in revelation, lefs abfurd as will appear below. foon produce! How fitly might the whole body, thus knit together and compacted by that which every joint Supplieth, increafe with the increase of God, would man but enter into the fame great plan of exciting industry and labour, and do what lies in his power to promote it, viz. entail benefits and fucceffes as the natural consequence of these; endeavour to fuit every one's station to his refpective merit and abilities; i. e. deal with each person according to what he is, and obferve thofe rules which the great God of nature has established! What emulation must this raise, joined with the utmost care and caution, when each finds it in his power fo much to improve and advance, as well as to impair and debase his nature; and thereby alfo change his ftate! what eagerness to excel fome! what dread of falling below others! what encouragement for all, to make the best use of their faculties and opportunities! This amicable contest, and perpetual struggle, must certainly make more for the good of the whole, than if all had been paffive, and abfolutely fixed in any degree of knowledge and perfection; or limited unalterably to any state. (b) Upon this plan only (b) See King's Origin of Evil, Note 19. p. 108, &c. and Note Y, p. 398, &c. We may add, that the fuppofition of any fuch fixed, unimprovable fate of natural good implies, ftrictly speaking, no lefs than the fubverfion of all virtue or moral good; which is nothing but the chufing to communicate the former: [See King. R. i. p. 75, 76. 4th Ed.] for which communication there could be no place in fuch a ftate, nor confequently any room for any of those ideas which are founded on it. Nor does this fcheme any better confult the intereft of our intellectual accomplishments; which, while it feems to be exalting them, is at the bottom taking away their ufe and exercife: while it pretends to conflitute an equality among rational agents, is really deftructive of both rationality, and agency. only could there be place for hope or fear, reward or punishment, the only proper means of governing free, rational agents; and of conducting them to their fupreme and trueft happiness, which feems entirely to confift in agency; and which can only this way be excited*. This therefore is the method moft agreeable to wisdom and goodnefs, and in consequence most worthy of God +. Having thus far confidered the partial diftribution of the gifts of nature, and confequent diverfity of natural religion, and offered fome hints towards explaining the reasonableness and neceffity thereof; I proceed to fhew the fame concerning revelation. If a revelation were to be made at all, (and I must here take it for granted that fuch a thing is neither impoffible nor unreasonable in itself,‡) it must be conveyed in the method we are told it was, namely, at firft communicated to fome few select perfons, and by them divulged, and gradually propagated to the rest of the world (c); or See King. p. 216, 298, 311, 324, 335, 348, &c. with the following Note [e]. and Fofter's wisdom of God in the various ranks and fubordinations of human Life. Serm. viii. Vol. 2. + See this defcribed more at large in Bp. Butler's Analogy, p. 93, &c. 2d Edit. See Jenkin. Vol, i. c. 1. or Enquiry into the evidence of the Chrift. Rel. § 8. (c) Chubb (on Miracles, p. 68, &c.) objects to this first method, that hereby it would be in the power of a few men to deprive the reft of all the benefits of this revelation. But is not that really the cafe in all the other benefits of nature, and the ordinary gifts of providence? Are not moft of the bleffings of life communicated to us by the mediation and inftrumentality of other men, who may be juft and faithful in communicating them, or otherwife? and is it not oft in the power of a fingle perfon to deprive or fecondly, every particular man must have it by immediate inspiration, and be at all times, and in all cases, influenced and directed to it internally; or thirdly, it must be published again and deprive multitudes of life itself, or any of its comforts; of liberty, peace, plenty, arts, improvements, &c? and is not all this unavoidable while men are allowed the free use of their natural powers, which he himself contends for? Men, he fays, are not to be over-ruled in either the publication or reception of religion; and if fo, he has yet to explain how that is to be given fo as not to leave it in the power and pleajure of a few, fooner or later, to reftrain and fupprefs, to difguife and corrupt it; and confequently to prevent thousands and millions of others from sharing in the benefits thereof, ib. p. 63. On a little farther confideration fuch writers may probably find, that in this fcheme [of Human Liberty] it must be impoffible for any thing relating either to the minds, or outward circumstances of mankind, to remain in a ftate of perfect uniformity; and then they may be fenfible too that the fame caufes, which among other things that concern mankind, make their religion unavoidably continue in this partial and unequal way, will hold as ftrongly for its being originally given in the fame way. Chubb's fecond objection, That if men could be fuppofed to be honeft and faithful in the publication of a fyftem of revealed Religion, then there would be no occafion for fuch system, ib. seems to be worse founded than the other; fince this revelation, notwithftanding all the imperfections that attend its communication, may ftill be the means of conveying fuch fuperior benefits to those who do come to the knowledge of it, of making fuch difcoveries in the nature both of God and Man, and of affording motives for men's attaining to fuch a degree of virtue, and' true rational happiness, as all their honesty, without fuch helps, could never raise them to, at leaft the generality of them. And whether the jole end of revelation be to bring men to a higher pitch of happinefs than they could otherwife attain, or not: ib. p. 49. this author never can prove but that this may be one of its great ends; and this end is in fact obtained, to as high a degree as is confiftent with his own fcheme of perfect liberty: fo that, in the last place, allowing God to forefie all the confequences, and events attending fuch an establishment, ib. p. 62. yet this establishment, fo circumstanced, may, notwithstanding any thing this author has made out to the contrary, come from him. And indeed Chubb feems at length to be fenfible of that fame boafted objection against the divinity of a revelation from its non-univerfality being fo very much weakened, that he is grown rather weary of it, and willing to get rid of it as handsomely as he can, by pretending that he has not even leaned to that fide of the queftion in all his debates upon it, and will take it un kindly to have fuch a thing fo much as infinuated of him. The Author's Farewell, p. 219. note. |