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lefs Vices, as well as Uneafineffes, of paft Times are foon forgot; and the most flagrant, notorious ones only appear upon Record:-that we are apt to judge thofe Evils greatest, which we feel ourselves; and that Good leaft, which seems to rival and eclipse our own, and raises Envy in the room of Admiration: and that hence, one of them is often aggravated, the other extenuated most unduly. On which account, Vices may not probably be greater now in general, but we more immediately concern'd with them, and suffering under them; especially the reigning ones, (of which there always have been fome*) as thofe of Faction and Corruption, Luxury and Lewdness seem to be at prefent; and great ones indeed they are, especially in our own Country; which yet perhaps are not worse than the reigning ones of former Times: and 'tis to be remember'd, that

a See Bp. Fleetwood's 2d Charge, p. 6, &c. Ibbot's Serm. on Eccl.7.10. Le Clerc, ib. Brown's Caufes of Common Errors, B.1. c.6, &c. That the fame Principle, i. e. of Envy, is at all times no lefs apt to prevail in the decrying of the present State of Literature, may be feen in an ingenious Author's Note on Hor. A. P. 1.408. p.213. 2 Ed.

There is a certain Lift of Vices committed in all Ages, and declaimed against by all Authors, which will last as long as Human Nature; or digefted into common places may ferve for any Theme, and never be out of date until Dooms-day.' Vulg. Err. p. 22.

aaThey who will take the pains to look into the Records of former Times, and view the Religion and Policy of our own and our Neighbour Nations, from the Time that Christianity was first planted in them; and God knows, the Profpect that we have in moft of them before that blessed Seafon, is very dark and unpleasant; will be beft able to judge and prefcribe what Veneration is in truth due to Antiquity and it may be, he who taketh the best Survey of them, will hardly find a Time in which he would with rather

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they come attended with the foremention'd Advantages of Light and Liberty, in fuch a degree, as we can never be too thankful for; and which we hope will speedily correct them; the one eenabling Men foon to see their evil confequences, the other allowing them full scope to cenfure, and expose them; and through both these, it may be that each other Vice becomes more open, and apparent now, rather than of fuperior fize, and ftrength. So that concerning the prefent Times, we have fome room to think that they are not abfolutely worse than all before them, as to Morals. Perhaps I may be allow'd to advance a step farther, and fuppofe them better in some re

ther to have been born, or Perfons with whom he could more usefully and happily have converfed, than in this very • Time in which he hath been born, how vicious and wicked foever; or thofe worthy Perfons with whom he bath, or might have lived, how depraved fo ever the greater Number is, as it hath always been.' Ld Clarendon, Eff. p. 227. b I believe it would be hard to produce modern inftances of Cruelty and Barbarity in any civilized State, whether in War or Peace, equal to fuch as were decreed publickly, and executed without the leaft feeming remorfe, by the politeft People of Antiquity: Witnefs their frequent refufing Quarter, and flaying all the Males; their Triumphs, torturing of Slaves; their Profcriptions, Poifonings, expofing Children, Rapes, &c. which need no aggravation. There is even at this day a fort of Decency in all our public Councils and Deliberations: and I believe the boldeft of our Demagogues would hardly undertake, in a popular Affembly, to propofe any thing parallel to the Rape of the Sabines, the most unjust ufage of L.T. Collatinus, or the ungrateful Treatment of Camillus; which, as a learned Father obferves, were pieces of Iniquity agreed to by the public Body of the Romans. Inftances of the fame kind with the two laft every one knows occur frequently among the Greeks, as well as Romans, in the politeft Ages of their Government. See Sir T. P. Blount, Eff. p.145. or Hume's Political Difc. 10.

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fpects; that we have certain Virtues now in greater Perfection, particularly more of true Charity, or Univerfal Benevolence, than ever fince the time of primitive Chriftianity. But if this be deem'd a mistake, and too partial fondness for the present Times, I trust it will be alfo judg'd a pardonable one, amid fo much most evident Partiality against them; efpecially as it is on the

I may add, that there feems to be a more perfect refignation to the Will of God, and acquiefcence in his Providence, among all Ranks of Men; a greater Firmness in enduring Pain; more Chearfulness and Courage in fubmitting to Death, among the generality, even of lowest Education: in fhort, that Mankind may be faid to grow more fpiritual and intellectual, in these and many other refpects, than they have been in former Ages. I think it may be faid, in Honour of the prefent Age, that [with a few exceptions] Controversy is carried on with more Decency and good Manners, than in any former Period of time that can be named; which, to"gether with the Toleration granted by Law, in this and other 'Proteftant Countries, for all Perfons to worship God in 'their own way; and that Chriftian Charity and Moderation, which is generally fhewn towards those that differ from us, feems already to be attended with good Effect.-The fett ing up of fo many Charity-Schools as have of late Years been erected in these Kingdoms,-the forming of Religious Societies and other good means, have greatly contributed to the 'promoting the Knowledge and Practice of Virtue and Religion among us.' Worthington, Eff. p. 157, 158.

Upon the whole, we have reafon to conclude, that the Reforation of Letters was fo far from being fatal to Christianity, or that this has been in decay ever fince (as a late noble Writer, much more converfant with fome kinds of Politicks and polite Literature, than the present Subject, has been pleased to affirm) [Letters on the Study of Hiftory, p. 175.] that on the contrary, this, where-ever it took place, has greatly tended both to the Illuftration of its Evidence, and the Increase of its Power over the Minds and Confciences of Men; and that in many refpects it has really flourished more from this, than from any other Period of Time fince its original Establish

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charitable fide; and tends to make them really better than they would be, did worse opinions of them univerfally prevail :

Which brings me, in the laft place, to the ConSequences that attend the other way of thinking.

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These have been hinted at in the beginning of this Discourse, and might be fhewn more particularly to affect the Honour of God, our own Happiness, and that of others; in as much as the foregoing fuppofition cafts a Cloud over all the Works of God, confounds our Notions of his Wisdom, Power, and Goodness;-raises Distrust, if not a Disbelief of his Perfections, and thereby deadens our Devotion toward him;-damps and difcourages all Study; and deftroys the pleasure that would arise from a Survey of both the Natural, and Moral World, and from Reflections on the Station we hold in them; - renders us far less fenfible of the Happiness within our power, and by confequence makes us receive lefs from them; - not only hinders Men from growing better, but actually makes them worfe; and fuffers the World daily to decline, through a perfwafion that it is defign'd to do fo; it having been obferv'd, that those Writings which villanize Mankind, have a pernicious tendency towards propagating, and protecting villany, and help the moft of all to teach, and encourage it; in the

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d In proof of the foregoing Obfervation, not to mention here fuch foreign Authors as Efprit, Rochefoucauld, and Bayle, who seem to have taken a deal of perverfe pains to eradicate all feeds of Humanity out of the Human Breaft;- fufficient evidence may be had from a famous writer of our own, the Author of the Fable of the Bees, who by a fhew of fuperior penetration into the low Motives and ignoble Paffions which

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fame manner as thofe which perpetually dwell on the dark fide of things, and the difficulties that

are too apt to fway People ;-by pointing at the means whereby a politician may fometimes avail himself of thefe, as well as ferve fome prefent Intereft of the Public in indulging them;-by a droll way of defcribing things, and a due mixture of fome very ill-natured Truths, that looks like more than ordinary Sagacity and a fhrewd knowledge of the world, and ferves to gratify a man's own Vanity, or Spleen, while it appears to be expofing that of others;-in fine, by dwelling altogether on the Foibles and the Follies of the worft and weakeft of mankind;-has drawn fuch an horrid, and at the fame time humourous Picture of the Species, as has at once diverted, and debauch'd the Principles of more perfons of the best understandings amongst us, than perhaps any other writer of late years.

And tho' we allow the Obfervation of an abler Author of the fame ftamp, viz. that Principles have feldom fuch an immediate influence on Men's behaviour, or their tempers, as a predominant Paffion, or a fettled Habit; yet we may infift upon it, that the former of thefe, when perverted, help very much to ftrengthen and encourage any kind of irregularity in the latter; at least they are exceedingly apt to discourage and debilitate any attempt to fubdue an exorbitant Paffion, or inveterate Habit: they deftroy all vigorous Endeavours toward establishing right methods of felf-government; they indifpofe us for attending to that moral Discipline which is fo neceffary to conduct ourselves with innocence and usefulness thro' Life, and yet fo difficult when opposed to the stream of evil Cuftom, or the tide of vicious Inclination. Such Principles efpecially as are advanc'd in the fore-mention'd Book, inftead of exciting us to love, partake of, and ftrive to promote the Happinefs of our Fellow-Creatures, and to delight in paying a grateful Homage to our common Parent, muft rather bring us to a fix'd contempt and hatred of the generality of thefe; give us unworthy narrow notions of the Creator and Governour of this World, and cut off the leaft profpect of enlarging or improving them in any other. They muft caufe a Decay of public Spirit, and a want of public Faith; a Decline and a gradual Diffolution of private Honour, Truth, and common Honefty: the very leaft that can be expected from them is an indolent unfatisfying ftate of mind within one's felf, and an averfion towards any pains or

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