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• valuableness of a past action which ren'ders one man worthy of reward; and it is the vileness of a past action which renders another man worthy and deserving of punishment.-Again, page 132. For as it is evident, that laws with their fanctions, viz. threatnings and promises annexed to them, look forward and have their reason in 'what is to come, namely, to direct the future behaviour of men, and to engage them to act accordingly; fo it is alike. evident, that the execution of thofe fanctions, in rewarding and punishing, looks backward and hath it's reafon in what is past; namely, one man cause he has kept, and

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punished because he has

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is rewarded beanother man is tranfgreffed the

And tho' rewards and punishments

may have an influence upon men's future ' behaviour; yet that is, as I have obferved above, rather a confequence of, than the reason of them; it being men's paft ac⚫tions which are the ground and reason of

their diftribution.-Again, page 133. There

are other actions which have fuch an inherent vileness and baseness in them, as not only render the actor justly odious and contemptible to a by-ftander, who is no way

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interested in them; but also worthy of his juft difpleasure, worthy that the actor's wicked actions fhould be recompenfed C upon his own head, worthy, that is to fay, fit and reasonable, that every other intel

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ligent being should contribute to his misery, as the demerit of his vile actions deserve ; ⚫ which contribution is properly called punishment. And this is the cafe, when confidered abftractedly from the medicinal influence of such punishment.] Tho' you, in page 132, which I have quoted, aré speaking of punishment in civil fociety; yet, I think, your fenfe and meaning, ‹ in what I have above quoted, and through your whole tract, is, that punishment is grounded entirely upon the tranfgreffion of the law; and in what follows, I entirely confine myfelf to God's treatment of us hereafter, when we fhall have departed this life. I think that punishment • looks no farther backward, and hath it's reafon in what is past, no farther than this, viz. when a man commits an evil action, (I mean moral evil) there is a wicked difpofition in that man; and when he is punished ( I suppose) the fame wicked difpofition takes place or continues in the faid

man,

man, as when he committed thofe crimes, for which (you fuppofe) he is punished. Punishment, by which I mean pain, uneafinefs, or misery inflicted upon vicious men, has a natural tendency (and which, I think, is confirmed by experience) to bring them to confideration; and is the likelieft method (I can think of) to reform them. That men's greatest happiness (by men, I mean moral agents) confifts in a conformity of their lives and actions to • the eternal and unalterable fitnefs of things; and that God is willing to act the kind and good part towards them, that is, to promote their happiness and greatest good; and that God will ufe thofe means which are most likely to answer that end I take for granted; and as punishment is the most likely means (that I know of) to bring about reformation, I believe God will, in kindness to men, punish them 'till they are brought to a due fenfe of their fins and follies, and are reformed from them. So that, I imagine, reformation is the fole view which God can have in punishing of men, or any other moral agents; and by no means think, with you, that tho' rewards and punishments may

have an influence upon men's future behaviour; yet that is rather a confequence of, than a reason of them. I will put an inftance, so that you may not mistake my meaning. Suppofe a man that has been < a vile and notorious finner in this world dies, and is thereby entirely incapacitated to do any one improper action, and God fhould raise him from the dead only to punish him for having tranfgreffed the law whilft he was alive, that is, to punish him without defigning his reformation, and from no other view and confide'ration than his former tranfgreffions; and after God has punished him equal to the • demerit of his crimes, (as you express it) •he should annihilate him immediately : I defire to know, wherein would be the fitnefs and propriety of fuch behaviour in God, and whether it would not be down

right cruelty? I defire you to inform me, by letter, wherein lies the connection and relation between crimes and punishnishments, when inflicted upon any one, for no other reafon but because he has • violated the law? For, I think, punish

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ment has no manner of connection with, or relation to impropriety of behaviour,

or

or the tranfgreffion of the law, any fur⚫ther than as it is the most likely and probable mean to bring about the reformation of the offender or punished perfon. I think punishment is not founded founded upon the tranfgreffion of the law, but is entirely grounded upon this, (viz.) men having tranfgreffed the law of the eternal and unalterable fitnefs of things, and thereby departed from their greatest good, (as I have above obferved) and God (who is ‹ a kind and tender father to mankind, and whofe mercies are over all his works) being defirous to bring back mankind to that happiness which they have departed from, will punish, or, in other words, will inflict mifery upon men, as the most likely and probable mean to bring them to reflection, and thereby to reformation; and confequently, thereby to promote men's greatest happiness. The foregoing, I imagine, is the only connection between pu• nishment and crimes.'

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PART of the author's answer to the foregoing letter, as it relates to punishment. Sir, Happiness is the end of being to intelligent beings; and as the communication of happiness is kind and good, so all

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