Sob The Evil and Folly of Co`vetoufnefs. S r R M. make this very evident, and it is far from XI. being abfurd : Suppofe a flute of things wherein a community of goods would not be inconvenient, fuch plenty of all things without labour as fhould be much more than fufficient for all mankind, fo that no want could ever be imagined, and there fhould be no occafion of treafuring up for the time to come, which was in fad the condition of the firft human pair ; I believe the greateft mifer will acknowledge, that in fuch a cafe, hu- man life would be as happy as riches could make it, unlefs he fhould think it neceffary to his happinefs, to fee others of his own kind in a Rate which he muff think unhappy, which is an unnatural malevolence, not ne- ceffatily ingredient in the charadter even of a covetous man. The plain confequence is, that riches are not efhentially and origi- nally neceffary to the happinefs of life, but by mere accident, and becaufe there happen - eth to be fuch a multitude of men upon the earth, as requireth the encouragement of in- duftry for fupporting them. And yet it is certain that the love of riches is become a very powerful lua in the human nature, at leaft in forne minds, and they are thought of great importance to the comfort- able enjoyment of life. Whence doth this arife ?
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