СНАР. BESIDES, if true Self-affection is the Measure and Standard of publick Affection, how should that be vicious, or depraved, or defective, or deferving to be excluded, which is to measure out the Virtue, Proportion and Quantity of the other? For fhould publick Affection run fo high, in voluntary Oblations, as to throw away Life in a mistaken Notion of ferving others (no Law of God or Defence of the Community requiring it) it ought to be branded as ridiculous, romantick, nay, as a Crime against the Publick, being in Truth a Violation of that Self-Affection and Prefervation whereon the Publick fubfifts: An Increase of fuch Inftances would be its Ruin, as the Care of every Individual duly preferving Self, and reserving to commanded Occafions, is its common Preservation. So facred and perfonal is Preservation to the Intereft and Happiness of SELF, that in equal Circumstances, it takes. place of regard to all others; and at Years of Discretion is unalienable; as is every Man's private Judgment of the essential Means tending to that End. WHAT is the Publick to any private Person unless his Intereft and Good is included fo as to enjoy in Partnership with it, contentedly fhareing Profit and Lofs, according to his Station? The Comforts and Benefits he confults to himfelf, are proposed only to be enjoy'd in concert with the Good of others, which together with himself make the Whole. Does not the diligent Bee, whilft it is clubbing its particular Industry. and Fidelity to its Publick, propofe to enjoy in Winter the Fruits of Summer toil, as fecurely as the best of them? When true Self-advantage XVI. moves and stimulates to Action with this Regu-CHAP lation and Deference, it moves as God, and Nature, and Society would have it, the Man is performing the Condition of his Bond, both to God, and Society; in Spite of what the faid Author affirms as above, No Creature can be confidered otherwife [than vicious] when the Paffion towards Self-good, though ever fo moderate, is his real Motive. And when it moves in that moderate fubordinate Sphere, the more diligent we are in that Purfuit, the truer we are to the Publick, as well as ourselves. FOR if the Good of the Publick confifts in the aggregate Good of fo many Particulars as that Publick confifts of, when every one purfues his own Prosperity in Connection with that of others, every one promotes his own and others at the fame time; and fo doing right to every Man, and himself, takes the right way of promoting the Profperity of the whole. And when the Love of Self joins, as it always ought, to make it true Intereft or Love of Self, with the Love of others, the Action is carried on and performed fo.much the better, with the Increase of a double Power of two Motives, both Social, Rational, and Virtuous. Nor is Self-advantage any Bribe to the Action, because that Confide ration is part of the Action, and part of the Virtue; the principal Stake, and the Primum Mo bile, moving every Man to act what is best for himself, both in his Publick, and Private Capacity. THE Advancement of Self-happiness is the ultimate End; and the fincere Endeavours of every one jointly in his Sphere, to promote the Hap piness CHAP. piness of others, are the Means fubordinate to it XVI. by the Appointment of God. By fuch Means a Man may merit of Society; but neither by the Means, nor the End can he merit of God; becaufe both were his Duty; and as fuch will meet with the Approbation of God, himself, and all wife Men. I CONCLUDE therefore that the Motive or moral Obligation to that fociable Action or Virtue has the Self-good and Happiness of the Agent, in its true Senfe, for its Bafis. To separate that and expel it out of the Action as excentrick, is to caft a Damp upon publick Good, and put afunder what God and Nature have join'd toge ther. The Prudence and Self-Approbation of the Agent will always be grounded upon a joint Promotion of the Good of each, and in the Neglect of neither. And though the Praise and Efteem of others, whether cotemporary, or in distant Times, refpects the Agent only from the Good others receive from his Action, yet those Admirers must fuppofe the other Confideration to make it prudent, and compleat the Glory of it; according to that Maxim, If thou art Wife, thou halt be Wife for thyfelf, Prov. ix. 12. No body therefore denies what our Author fays when he further explains himself, Mifcellan. Reflect.* "That for a Creature whose natural "End is Society [he fhould have faid Happiness "in Society] to operate as is by Nature [better, by the God of Nature] appointed him towards "the Good of fuch his Society, or Whole, is in "reality to pursue his own natural and proper Charact, Vol. III. pag. 223. " Good.. A "Good. And that to operate contrary-wife, or CHAP "by fuch Affections as fever from that com- XVI. "mon Good, or publick Intereft, is in reality, to work towards his own natural and proper " Ill." AND thus with respect to Publick Spirit, and Generofity, every Perfon, in every Station of Life, may perform Heroick Actions, according to his Sphere; or in the Words of an ingenious Writer +, "No external Circumstances of Fortune, "no involuntary Disadvantages, can exclude "any Mortal from the most heroick Virtue. For "how small foever the Moment of publick Good "be, which any one can accomplish, yet if his "Abilities are proportionably small, the Qua "tient, which expreffes the Degree of Virtue, "may be as great as any whatsoever. Thus "not only the Prince, the Statefman, the Gene"ral, are capable of true Heroifm, tho' thefe "are the chief Characters, whofe Fame is dif"fused through various Nations and Ages; but when we find in an boneft Trader, the kind "Friend, the faithful prudent Advifer, the cha"ritable and bofpitable Neighbour, the tender Huf"band and affectionate Parent, the fedate yet chearful Companion, the generous Affiftant of "Merit, the cautious Allayer of Contention and "Debate, the Promoter of Love and good Under Standing among Acquaintances; if we confider, "that these were all the good Offices which his "Station in the World gave him an Opportu"nity of performing to Mankind, we muft judge this Character really as amiable, as those, 66 † Inquiry concerning moral Good and Evil, by Hutchefon, pag. 194. "whose CHAP." whofe external Splendor dazzles. an injudi XVI. "cious World into an Opinion that they are the only Heroes in Virtue." 66 BUT publick Spirit or Love of Country in Governors and Rulers of Society, befides Care at home, has a larger Extent of Confcience and Sphere of Duty with regard to other Countries (and almost all other Countries, by Navigation, are Neighbours to a maritime Power.) For as their private Kingdom is but as one Individualin refpect to all others; fo, when no Injury is offer'd, mediately or immediately, none ought to be done purely to the Advantage or Extent of Empire of that particular Kingdom; that being a vicious Self-love, a kind of Piety to Country that is really impious, being a Sin againft univerfal Benevolence, the publick Spirit or Humanity due to the Rights of all Men, and confequently fuch a Love of Country like the Romans, and lately the grand Monarch, which gloried in the Conqueft of innocent Neighbours, was as unfit to be recommended by the Gospel, as Piracy, or Robbery. The Romans terminated their Virtues to this World, and whilft they were feverally free Agents incorporating themselves to that End, they became Inftruments in the Hand of Providence for mighty Purposes, in taking Provinces of the World from others and giving to them; that being their View and their Heaven to enlarge the Bounds of Empire, to enjoy their own Liberty, and take away that of other People. The Virtues fubfervient to that End were Roman Virtues, full of Renown. And fo long * Quæ omnia non utique Virtutes, fed Virtutum funt everfiones. Vid. Lact. Lib. VI. cap. 6. |