408 STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF HUMAN REASON. him ? That he should be honest in all his dealings, and that he should help his neighbour in distress, and be kind to the mise- rable, whocannot help themselves ? PITH. I grant that the reason and conscience that is in man, will generally shew him, that there is a reasonableness and fit- ness in these practices, which we call virtues, if he will but set himself seriously and honestly to think of them. But yet if one of these Americans, or his wife, or children, stand in great need of some of the wild fowl, the venison, the parched corn, or the deer-skin, which are the property of his neighbour, he would be ready to to think it perhaps a much more fit and reasonablething that he should steal, or plunder, or even kill his neighbour to gain these provisions, than that he and his familyshould be ex posed to any hardships for the want of them. The principle of self-love, and of seeking the ease and happiness of ourselves, or those that aredear to us might dictate to such an unphilosophical tribe, that it is more reasonable and more fit to plunder and steal, or do any injury to their neighbour, if they could do it with safety to themselves. Loc. But the reason, even of Americans, if it be exercised a little, will further inform them, that without the observance of truth, faithfulness, honesty, justice, and innocence, there can be no safety toman, woman, or child ; they cannot preserve their ownproperty, life, or peace ; that the strong, the swift, and the cunning, will deprive the rest of all their comforts and posses- sions ; and therefore, in order to secure their own lifeand pro- perty, they must not invade the life and property of another. And will not their own reason tell them also, that they must be compassionate to the miserable ; that they must help their neigh- bours in distress ; that they must be kind and bountiful to those with whom. they dwell ; or else they can never expect that others should be kind and bountiful to them, should relieve any of their wants, or help them under their greatest distresses ? Thus the very law ofself-preservation, which is written so strongly in the very nature of men, leads them to practise the duties of jústice and goodness towards their neighbours. PITH. I may venture to grant what you have now said upon this subject : And these are the reasons, and the only reasons, upon which even the barbarousnations generally practise some degrees ofjusticeandgoodness towards one another. But is this proper virtue ? Has this any merit in the sight of God, or any pretence to his favour ? Can this be religion, when men are restrained from doing injury to their neighbours, or excited to do them good merely upon civil principles, without any idea or apprehensionof the will of God, who requires it; or whenthey do it merely for fear, lest theyshould be exposed to the same injuries among men by way of retaliation, or in hopes to obtain the like
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=