TO THE

HONOURABLE AND RIGHT REVEREND

SHUTE,

BY DIVINE PROVIDENCE,

LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM,

THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSE,

AS A SMALL

BUT SINCERE EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE,

FOR A GREAT,

ENSOLICITED, AND UNEXPECTED FAVOUR,

IS INSCRIBED

BY HIS FAITHFUL

AND MOST OBLIGED SERVANT,

W. PALEY.

SERMON VI.

ON OUR DUTY TO GOD AND MAN.

For none of us liveth to himself.-Rom. xiv. 7. THE use of many of the precepts and maxims of Scripture, is not so much to prescribe actions, as to generate some certain turn and habit of thinking and they are then only applied as they ought to be, when they furnish us with such a view of, and such a way of considering, the subject to which they relate, as may rectify and meliorate our dispositions; for from dispositions so rectified and meliorated, particular good actions and particular good rules of acting, flow of their own accord. This is true of the great Christian maxims, of loving our neighbours as ourselves; of doing to others as we would that others should do to us; and (as will appear, I hope, in the sequel of this discourse) of that of the text. These maxims being well impressed, the detail of conduct may be left to itself. The subtilties of casuistry, I had almost said the science, may be spared. By presenting to the mind one fixed consideration, such a temper is at length formed within us, that our first impressions and first impulses are sure almost of being on the side of virtue; and that we feel likewise an almost irresistible inclination to be governed by them. When this disposition is perfected, the influence of religion, as a moral institution, is sufficiently established.

It is not in this way, but in another, that human laws, especially the laws of free countries, proceed to attain their objects. Forasmuch as their ultimate sanctions are to be dispensed by fallible men, instead of an unerring and omniscient Judge, the safety, as well as the liberty, of the subject, requires, that discretion should be bound down by precise rules both of acting, and of judging of aetions. Hence lawgivers have been obliged to multiply directions and prohibitions without number:

and this necessity, for such I acknowledge t be, hath drawn them into a prolixity, which a cumbers the law as a science to those who study administer it; and sometimes perplexes it, 21 rule of conduct, to those who have nothing to d with it, but to obey it. Yet still they find the selves unable to make laws as fast as occasions mand them: they find themselves perpetually called upon to pursue, by fresh paths, the inver tive versatility of human fraud, or to provide fa new and unforseen varieties of situation. Nov should religion, which professes to guide the whole train and range of a man's conduct, inter or as well as external, domestic as well as civil. and which, consequently, extends the operations of its rules to many things which the laws leave in different and uncontrolled: should religion, I say, once set about to imitate the precision of human laws, the volume of its precepts would soon be rendered useless by its bulk, and unintelligible by its intricacy. The religion of Mahomet, as might be expected from the religion of a military pro phet, constituted itself into the law of the states into which it was received. Assuming the fune tions of legislators and magistrates, in conjunction with the character of interpreters of the Koran, and depositaries of the supplemental laws of the religion, the successors of the Arabian have, under the name of traditionary rules, compiled a do for the direction of their followers in almost mart of their conduct. The seventy-five precepts of that code* serve only to tility of the attempt; to prove by ex at religion can only act upon human al precepts, addressed and applied to ion; that there is no ground for the at has sometimes been made to Chrisit is defective, as a moral institution, ot of more explicit, more circumstan accurate directions; and that when

a's translation of the Hedaya or Guide.

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we place by the side of each other human and di. vine laws, without understanding the distinction n the two methods by which they seek to attain heir purpose, and the reason of that distinction, we form a comparison between them, which is likely to be injurious to both. We may find fault with the Scriptures, for not giving us the preci. sion of civil laws; and we may blame the laws, for not being content with the conciseness and simplicity of Scripture; and our censure in both cases be unfounded and undeserved.

The observation of the text is exactly of the nature I have been alluding to. It supplies a principle. It furnishes us with a view of our duty, and of the relations in which we are placed, which, if attended to (and no instruction can be of use with out that,) will produce in our minds just deter iminations, and, what are of more value, because more wanted, efficacious motives.

"None of us liveth to himself." We ought to regard our lives (including under that name our faculties, our opportunities, our advantages of every kind,) not as mere instruments of personal * gratification, but as due to the service of God; and as given us to be employed in promoting the purpose of his will in the happiness of our fellow. creatures. I am not able to imagine a turn of thought which is better than this. It encounters the antagonist, the check, the destroyer of all virtue, selfishness. It is intelligible to all; to all different degrees applicable. It incessantly prompts to exertion, to activity, to beneficence.

In order to recommend it, and in order to ren. der it as useful as it is capable of being made, it may be proper to point out, how the force and truth of the apostle's assertion bears upon the dif. ferent classes of civil society. And in this view, the description of men which first, undoubtedly, offers itself to our notice, is that of men of public charcaters; who possess offices of importance, power, influence, and authority. If the rule and principle which I am exhibiting to your observation, can be

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said to be made for one class of mankind more another, it is for them. They, certainly, “Imr to themselves." The design, the tenure, the m tion of their offices; the public expectation, public claim; consign their lives and labour their cares and thoughts and talents, to the p happiness, whereinsoever it is connected with duties of their stations, or can be advanced by th fidelity of their services. There may be occasi and emergencies when men are called up take part in the public service, out of the line their professions, or the ordinary limits of th vocation. But these emergencies occur, I think seldom. The necessity should be manifest, bef we yield to it. A too great readiness to started of our separate precincts of duty, in order to re into provinces which belong to others, is a dange rons excess of zeal. In general, the public inte rest is best upheld, the public quiet always best preserved, by each one attending closely to the proper and distinct duties of his station. In season of peril or consternation, this attention ought to be doubled. Dangers are not best opposed by t multuous or disorderly exertions; but by a se date, firm, and calm resistance, especially by that regular and silent strength, which is the collected result of each man's vigilance and industry in his separate station. For public men, therefore, tobe active in the stations assigned to them, is demanded by their country in the hour of her fear or danger. If ever there was a time, when they that rule should rule with diligence;" when supineness, negligence, and remissness in office, when a timidity or love of ease, which might in other cir oumstances be tolerated, ought to be proscribed excluded, it is the present. If ever there was

to make the public feel the benefit of pubitutions, it is this.

I shall add nothing more concerning the ion which the text, and the lesson it conAmnose upon public men, because I think

inciple is too apt to be considered as