fluenced by motives; and I have no reason to forbear, confidering that my actions, by producing their intended effects, contribute to carry on the great chain.

PART II.

Progrefs of Morality.

HAVING unfolded the principles of mʊrality, the next step is to trace out its gradual progrefs, from its infancy among favages to its maturity among polifhed nations. The hiftory of opinions concerning the foundation of morality, falls not within my plan; and I am glad to be relieved from an article that is executed in perfection by more able hands (a).

An animal is brought forth with, every one of its external members; and completes its growth, not by production of any new member, but by addition of matter to thofe orignally formed. The fame holds with respect to internal members; the fenfes, for example, inftinct, powers and faculties, principles and propenfities: these are coeval with the individual, and are gradually unfolded, fome early, fome late. The external fenfes, being neceffary for felf-prefervation, foon arrive at maturity. Some internal fenfes, of order for example, of propriety, of dignity, of grace, being of no use during infancy, are not only flow in their progrefs toward maturity, but require much culture. Among favages they are fcarce perceptible.

(a) Dr. Cudworth and Dr. Smith,

The

The moral, fenfe, in its progrefs, differs from those last mentioned; being frequently discovered, even in childhood. It is however flow of growth, and feldom arrives at perfection without culture and experience.

The moral fenfe not only ripens gradually with the other internal fenfes mentioned, but from them. acquires force and additional authority: a favage makes no difficulty to kill an enemy in cold blood: bloody fcenes are familiar to him, and his moral fenfe is not fufficiently vigorous to give him compunction. The action appears in a different light to a perfon of delicate feelings; and accordingly, the moral fenfe has much more authority over thofe who have received a refined education, than over favages.

It is pleasant to trace the progrefs of morality in members of a polifhed nation. Objects of external fenfe make the firft impreffions; and from them are derived a stock of fimple ideas. Affection, accompanying ideas, is first directed to particular objects, fuch as my father, my brother, my companion. The mind, opening by degrees, takes in complex objects, fuch as my country, my religion, the government under which I live; and thefe alfo become objects of affection. Our connections multiply; and the moral fenfe, acquiring ftrength as the mind opens, regulates our duty to every connected object. Objects of hatred multiply as well as objects of affection, and give full fcope to diffocial paffions, the most formidable antagonists that morality has to encounter. But nature hath provided a remedy: the perfon who indulges malice or revenge, is commonly the greateft fufferer by the indulgence: men become wife by experience, and have more peace and fatisfaction in foftering kindly affection: ftormy paffions are fubdued, or brought under rigid difcipline; and benevolence triumphs over selfishness. We refine

Z 2

refine upon the pleafures of fociety: we learn to fubmit our opinions: we affect to give preference to others; and readily fall in with whatever fweetens focial intercourfe: we carefully avoid caufes of difcord; and overlooking trivial offences, we are fatisfied with moderate reparation, even for grofs injuries.

A nation from its original favage ftate, grows to maturity like the individuals above defcribed, and the progrefs of morality is the fame in both. The favage ftate is the infancy of a nation, during which the moral fenfe is feeble, yielding to cuftom, to imitation, to paffion. But a nation, like a member of a polifhed fociety, ripens gradually, and acquires a tafte in the fine arts, with acutenefs of fenfe in matters of right and wrong. Hatred and revenge, the great obftacles to moral duty, raged without control, while the privilege of avenging wrongs was permitted to individuals (a). But hatred and revenge yielded gradually to the pleafures of fociety, and to the growing authority of the moral fenfe; and benevolent affection prevailed over diffocial paffions. In that comfortable period, we hear no more of cruelty as a national character on the contrary, the averfion we have to an enemy, is even in war exercised with moderation. Nor do the ftormy paffions ever again revive; after a nation begins to decline from its meridian height, the paffions that prevail are not of the violent kind, but selfish, timorous, and deceitful.

Morality however has not to this day arrived to fuch maturity, as to operate between nations with equal fteadiness and vigour, as between individuals. Ought this to be regretted as an imperfection in our nature? I think not had we the fame compunction of heart for injuring an individual,

2

(a) See Hiftorical Law tracts, tract 1.

individual, and were injuftice equally blameable as to both; war would ceafe, and a golden age enfue, than which a greater misfortune could not befal the human race (a).

In the progrefs from maturity to a declining state, a nation differs widely from an individual. Old age puts an end to the latter: there are many caufes that weaken the former: but old age is none of them, if it be not in a metaphorical fenfe. Riches, felfifhnefs, and luxury, are the difeafes that weaken profperous nations: thefe difeafes, following each other in a train, corrupt the heart, dethrone the moral fenfe, and make an anarchy in the foul men ftick at no expence to purchase pleasure; and they ftick at no vice to fupply that

expence.

Such are the outlines of morality in its progress from birth to burial; and thefe outlines I propofe to fill up with an induction of particulars. Looking back to the commencement of civil fociety, when no wants were known but those of nature, and when fuch wants were amply provided for; we find individuals of the fame tribe living innocently and cordially together they had no irregular appetites, nor any ground for ftrife. In that ftate, moral principles joined their influence with that of national affection, to fecure jndividuals from harm. Savages accordingly, who have plenty of food and are fimple in habitation and cloathing, feldom tranfgrefs the rules of morality within their own tribe. Diodorus Siculus, who compofed his history recently after Cæfar's expedition into Britain, fays, that the inhabitants dwelt in mean cottages covered with reeds or fticks; that they were of much fincerity and integrity, contented with plain and homely fare; and were ftrangers to the excefs and luxury of rich men. In Friezeland,

in

(a) Book 2. fketch 1.

in Holland, and in other maritime provinces of the Netherlands, locks and keys were unknown, till the inhabitants became rich by commerce: they contented themselves with bare neceffaries, which every one had in plenty. The Laplanders have no notion of theft. When they have an excurfion into Norway, which is performed in the fummer months, they leave their huts open, without fear that any thing will be purloined. Formerly they were entirely upright in their only commerce, that of bartering the fkins of wild beafts for tobacco, baandy, and coarfe cloth. But being often cheated by ftrangers, they begin to be more cunning. Theft was unknown among the Caribbees till Europeans came among them. When they loft any thing, they faid innocently, "the "Chriftians have been here." Crantz, defcribing the inhabitants of Iceland before they were corrupted by commerce with strangers, fays, that they lived under the fame roof with their cattle; that every thing was common among them except their wives and children; and that they were fimple in their manners, having no appetite but for what nature requires. In the reign of Edwin King of Northumberland, a child, as hiftorians report, might have travelled with a purse of gold, without hazard of robbery: in our days of luxury, want is fo intolerable, that even fear of death is not fufficient to deter us. All travellers agree, that the native Canadians are perfectly difinterested, abhorring deceit and lying. The Californians are fond of iron and fharp inftruments; and yet are fo strictly honeft, that carpenter-tools left open during night, were fafe. The favages of North America had no locks for their goods: they probably have learned from Europeans to be more circumfpect. Procopius bears teftimony (a), that

(a) Hiftoria Gothica, lib, 3.