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n E L 1 G ION, OR T H E O 1. O G Y.
ti¡~lpk', n';L11y j l.n, ~Inti nl"Hcomrlftcly ad .t?t::d tO promote
t be f.:lil.i!y (¡f d\!.! JHlm~n rttCC in dlls \Yorlci, ttl1d in th"t
"Jhich i" ro rome. Tite S.tvi"ur uf dlt: \VorlJ h;lS not en–
j t1ine.t tlny p In of manklnu {'J ell.~)l.~c in llifpUICS . ur at'lUraét
rrli nt ment:-.: d,:~ role cOíllll\.!lld th.\[ h~ h,15 gl yc:n th,:m is,
t ? /'el;~vt in ¡.¡, G'~p::l; :mJ lilar is cUlnprtlcJ in o~e \\'ord
onl y. L OV1~: Iht! f?límd and only }'rincípk on whi¡;h Ihlo:
whol(' o( hi5 (~.:.r,~J doa rin\! is toundcJ.
11r. Tu produce ,he gre¡¡,cfl efre,~, pollible. by , he loar!
errllrts. is Ihe hiJ,'hdt perfu~l: lon In oHure, al th~ fame
time the [fUe chara{letiillC 01' Ú 'Y lnity. (;.:ld has givcn 10
al! (he bcings th~t compare the univ.:rfc, une limpIe prin.
ei pl:: alone, by which [h~ whoJe, and every pan , is con–
nl:ét.:J ami pt rpt:Iu",lIy fupportt:d ; and that tS L ovE. 'Tlle
<lttratlion of th~ cdt::liJll>odies, as well as of [hore of which
our globe is form('d, is a fpecies of lovt!; a muto",1 ten·
dency toward e",ch othcr. The uniform g('nt ration, by
which al.l b:ings ",re pcrpetuated, is fanndcJ In lov~. 'fh is
is the !fue ", j,' ;lIW1IJ, ¡he true fyl1cm of Ihe le.'l/ }(lfliolJ, \\'hil.:h
¡neludes fomrthing fo divine. It appears to ue the \ViII of
C ad 10 dtabldh, by d·e mOUlh of ,he M el i.h, ,he fa me
limpie principie in morality, that is, in the.rul e of human
~aions, by f.tyi ng. Love: in a \VonJ. it \Vas his will. th.u
in t!:le conduét of mankind , as in c\'ery other p:¡n ot nature,
thcre lh ould be na other principle' than that of L ave.
l V. Th>l in ,he differcnI fyftem, of e,hie, of ,he an–
('ient Hc:athen Philorophers O1Jxims and precf'pts of
tldmir..ble rnnra lity are to be fuund, cannot be denied; bUl,
Lrfide thal thefe philofophcrs are almon continu<\lIy contra–
di .. 'lintJ each other in lhei r maxim3. no one of lheir fyllems
is fOil~d~d on the trUC principie. ln fearchtng after il. they
have difcovered fome excdl~nt truths; but it has bren by
chonce, and ,hey .re at bel! imperCeél. J erus Chnlt has
alone taught mankind perftét. mor~ls, by deducing lhem from
this true piinciple. Evcry principie OlOuld be 1imple: the
jde of a compound principie implics at once an imperfeétion .
Every pri ncipI e fhou ld be: comprehenfiv~ , eveo univerfal in
j :s effcél s. E very principie, whofc effeéls are Ilmitcd, is
imperfl..é1. G od himlclfis uniform in his principie, and in·
f¡;'ji te in his effl..'ét.s . His doélrine, or Ilis law., OlOuld be the
fa:'Ile, J CfllS Chdll has m",de kno\Vn tO mankind this prin·
ciple. lilllple and uni\'erfal. He lus thcrefore beco, in rhis
fenfe airo. thc true Saviour of lhe wor!d. He has preached
tO m",n!:'nd ; and his only datlr¡nc has been 1hat of Im'e.
V. By the word L ave, with regard to Bodio in genend,
is mea:1t a tendency, a mutual inclin,nion that urges theOJ
tO joi n 2nd tO co.llkfcc; anri \Vith regard to men in pl rti .
cullr, a Iin·I)', ' aff~éli ng pleafm e, that porrclles the mind on
eantemplati ng the perfeélions of any objea. This ple.l[nre
IS alwdvs accompíl nied with a delire, either te po((cfs thac
"hje~.· or tO render it propitiolls. By adopting thercCore
t!lis principie , and lhis I;dl defl nitioJl of Lov:, it follows ,
dlJt al! the: dutics oC mitn conGil,
l . In ,he lave oC God in preference to .11 OIher objeéls .
2. In the lave of himfelf.
3. In the leve of his own (pecies.
,~ . In tll'! lo v~ of el/ery other crt!:nure to a certain degree.
' r he rI,)tllict's uf J dus Chrift :tre, in thcfc r.:fpdls, lhe
u.ofi f..'xr hcir.
V1. t'rom this principie (]ows our dlll) towards God, to·
wards ou rfe.lvcs, un r nciJ!hhol1r, :md to thofe beings that are
fu bj··ét to ou r powcr. 'f he Gd~ rult: is, tO cOl11 ': to
al; lhc fl ) whcm 1llS QU( dllty to lov~J aH the eood, and to
prcfcrve th-:m from alJ the evil in Ollr po'.Vcr. T I,: rl.:conrl,
tO do lO 00 ene whtt[ \Ve w()ulJ nnt h.. \'e donc l e) o'HÍt:I\'cs
in (jlll,"lr ci rcumll.lílces. TI) ! third , which ;5 lhe li.llplc
eff...:8 uf love, i5 ti.) cmkavou r tO pl ca{e the ohJcél: lhat WIJ
ou~:\t tO love. 'l 'l1c fourlh . to cnJe,¡vour te, rt!ndcr lhe
pledfu res th,n \Ve eOlllllllJOic:ue to others, as Jivcly ttS pC/ni .
ble. anJ thofe inevit IbJe evi ls. which \Ve arc fomt!tlm<!s ..::on.
Clraincd tu do to dH~Ol, as fupport:.blc as \Ve can; and Co
o( th~ rcH. Th~ whole eV.l ngelic doél nnc oí (¡U( SJ\ iou c
is replete, from. beglnning to cnJ , with admirable precepts
for theft! purpofes ; and rhefe preccp' s. Wlth th~ir íl.ppllc~.
tions, g~ntr;¡ 1 nnJ p'Hlicu , we Jo!aro from that f..::ienc~
which \Ve eall Moral T'lcology,
VII. T h , duél,ine wo dilbnguin, from moral phiIoCop~y,
or the limplc dotlr:ne of E¡llics; bt!C,il\f~ Jefus Chrift ha,
m,tJ~ known. in his di"ine Dloralny , a fa r gleata Jcgr~e of
perfeéliOn ddi::ovcrAbJc by the mcre- light of human
rcar~n . For tite re.louncing of f~lf·íntcrcft, anu privatt:
pleature j the furgivenefs of OfreOl:es j Ihe. ,Io\'c of his ene·
mies ~ the triulIlph over dd truélive p,.I.lliolls ¡ ano many 0 4
ther hke virtu:;." the Chril ldn is dlooe IndebtC'u to the do..:·
trine ot Jt:fus Chritt.
VIII. In order tO fh ew, moreover, in a few word" of
howe..;fy . jull, and natura l an apphca tion all theft! pre.:epu
are fll!ct ptlUll.: , WI! IhJII here give " fc"~ tnnances. .. lt is
OUT duty lO love GiJd ." Now nothing '¡s more n·Hural than
tO feel a lively and penetrating plt.ifure in rh~ contemplation
of th\.! unne,d perre~liuns of the Supreme Being; nOlhlng
more nalulal than a delire 10 pie"re him, and to rcnd~r him
propit ious 10 us : and as it is not pOIG!.>le for us, weak ere" ...
tures, to do him eilher good or evd, all our power tO plerlfl!
him eonliHs in ofFt:ring him an upright heart .¡ arationa! de–
valion ; tO be porre{f~d with gratitude lO\Vard hir:l, and tO
exert all poiTiblc dForts to accompl ilh lhe end of ou r crea·
tion . H lt is ou r duty tO love all mankind ¡" and yLt \Ve in·
Jlttl pains and chafbfmcnts on Come of them ; \Ve even put
them 10 death: but \Ve challife them ollly tO render th~m
better, to prevent them from becoming pernicious 10 Cociety
in general : we retrench the num.,..ber of Ihe liTing, as we
cut off a corruptcd brclnch of a tree, in whofe prcrervation
\Ve are intere/led: it is bccaufc we loye manklnd , that \ltC
endeavour tO prevenl lhe dd1:rut!:ion of the cood by {he ma·
lig.nil Yof the wlcked : but it niu(l (ivcr be an indifpcofible
neccilieyalone lhat can compel us lOch:..!iICement. 11 lt is our
duty, likewife, tO fed a kinct of lave for otha creatu res .
tven for mere animals." Neverthdt!fs ,ve harrafs, we 0Pí'0t"e,
we deHrny them . If we hMrafs them wantonly. to fw pport
a criminal 111xury, or tO fatisry a brut,,1 plc:afun: ; if \Ve
purfue a r"" age chace, or en..::ouragt! combats bel\\ een ani·
mals tht':mrel\'es, or other Itke horri~!e di·:e'·!ions. ,\'C aél
contrary botli to the fpirit .md the leuer of thl.: Gürp:::1.
But ir we;: dellro)' a pan 01' {hcCe: itlltm.. ls, 10 t;;'f\e 3S jln in–
difpenflble noulilhment 10 . ohlú . ing at the I:lmc time
tO put thcm tú the lea U Olirt!ry polJible, an.1 t.lking al! nC4
cell',¡ry care for the pr~fen·"tion of the fpt·c.:i.!s, we a\.'l io
conformlly to the )¡.¡ws or nature and of mOTaIIl Y: \Ve cm·
play tOour own prcft:rv'itinn. and. to th:H (lt Ihe reHof m;.n4
kin:1. \Vh:u appeíl. u Jdlineu te lhar purpure by the Cll':\lOr.
IX . ~loral thClllogy hkewilc dilr,,:rs (mm rl~do(oph r. !n.
afmtl.:.h as 11 rc::qllir..::s that our VI' lues be ~blolu:ely dlhll·
tcrclkd: it enjllins us lO lIy ¡hlo! en l, .tn~t to rurful' Ihe !!C'c.l.
OlC'rcly tlS our dUI\' towards Gad: il .\dnllts In~iec.'d Ihe! r n': 4
Cl'pt of the ll)\'c of ourllh'csJ aoJ lhe.: lure of our n~igh~~tl r ;
t-Li;