CHAPTER X. $11 which being apprehended by the mind, excites or inclines a vo- luntary or free agent to act, and it works either by intreaty or authority, by commands or counsels, by promising or threatening, by rewards or punishments, by fear or hope, or any other motives, all which are called moral agency or influence. Suasive causes are either personal or real. Personal are chiefly such as these (viz.) Author or persuader, commander, encourager, &c. Real suasive causes are the end or design, the object, occasion, opportunity, merit or demerit. Any being, ap- pearance or circumstance whatsoever, that tends to influence the agent in a moral way, i. e. to affect and persuade the will, may be properly called a suasive cause. This sort of causes belongs also chiefly if not only to intel- lectual and voluntary agents. Yet it it may be queried, whether a pond inviting a horse to drink be a suasive or an efficient cause ? Is the influence of this object on the animal properly natural or moral? Food inviting a hungry man to eat has certainly bath a natural and a moral influence, because he has both animal nature and reasoning powers. The end or design is one of the chief of suasive causes. This is usually called the final cause, and makes a considerable figure in the doctrine of causes. It is defined, Thatfor the sake where- of any thing is done. An artiticer labours hard ; his end is to procure bread ; his labour is called the means. The end is the cause, the means the effect. Under the idea of an end all the doctrine offinal causes. with all their divisions should be introduced. 1. Here therefore comes in first the distinction of ultimate endor subordinate: An ultimate end is either absolutely so, such is or should be the end of all our actions, (viz.) the glory of God and our own final happiness, or it is ultimate in its own kind ; so learning or knowledge is the chief end of reading. Subordinate ends are such as tend to some further end, as knowledge is sought in order topractise ; practice in order to profit and pleasure in this life, or preparation for the life to come. Note, There may be many coordinate ends of the same action whichare not subordinated to one another. A man rides on horseback for his pleasure, for his health, and for a visit to his friend. If one of these ends be much superior in his eye to the others, that is called the primary end, others are but secondary, though not subordinate. 2. The end is considered as in the intention of the prime efficient, or in the execution. In the intention it moves or excites the efficient cause to act by a moral influence,and it is in this view it properly cornes in among suasive causes. But in the execution it becomes the effect of the prime agent by a natural influence or causality. il HI
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