In order to it, he, I. fettles the Notion of private Friendship, and the Love of our Country, and fhews how far they are truly virtuous and honourable: And then, II. he offers a few things, more directly, to vindicate the Christian Benevolence against the Objection juft mentioned.

'Tis undeniable from conftant Experience, that both these Principles, which fome People look upon, as the moft Heroick Virtues, have been grofly abus'd. Private Friendships have been only little Parties in Vice and Mischief, and publick Disorder; and an Attachment to the Intereft of particular Societies, a vile Confpiracy against Juftice, Honour, Liberty, and the Peace and Happiness of the World. 'Tis neceffary, therefore, to fettle their proper Bounds. Private Friendship is an unnatural Paffion, and ought to be rooted out of the Mind, when it is inconfiftent with the Love of our Country, and much more with the general Good of Mankind; otherwife it would introduce the utmoft Confufion, and an intire Subverfion of Order and Government. And when it is not only contrary to the publick Happiness, but has no direct Influence to promote it, it must be a mere Matter of private Conveniency, or elfe of Humour and Fancy, or an Effect of the Love of ourselves, and confequently nothing meritorious and heroick. From whence it follows, that it has nothing generous and praifeworthy in it, but as it tends to cultivate and improve univerfal Benevolence.

BESIDES, all Friendship must be founded in Virtue. This is the only Ground of a true Esteem and of a steady Confidence. 'Tis in this way alone, that it can be at all ufeful, and promote the

Wel

Welfare of the Society. 'Tis this that diftinguifhes true Friendship from the vile Cabals of Robbers and Traitors, of Men of dark and mifchievous Defigns. So that the Love of a Friend must be proportioned to his real Merit, and we ought to prefer every Man before him, that has really a inore excellent and ufeful Character. There is fomething in almost all Accounts of private Friendship, that is in a great measure mechanical, or wild and romantick; and which, confequently, must be carefully feparated from a true Friendship, that Reafon may approve and justify.

THE Author applies the fame Rules to the Love of our Country, and then concludes in this manner. "It appears upon the whole,

that both thefe Principles are only fo far "amiable and generous, as they are Branches "of univerfal Benevolence. Nothing can be a "virtuous, a great or noble, but what is also "a ufeful Quality; and 'tis an infallible right "Rule of judging in all Cafes of Benevolence,

which may feem to clash and interfere with "each other, to aim at the greatest and most "extenfive Good. So that, if there be a real

' Neceffity, I am to facrifice my Friend for "the fake of my Country, and my Country "for the general Happiness of Mankind. "Univerfal Benevolence, therefore is infinitely "the most exalted and heroic Spring of Action, "because the univerfal Good can't be purfued "to an Excefs; but private Friendship and the "Love of our Country may be fo perverted, "as to become mifchievous and deftructive

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Principles. The former is intirely difinterested, "and can proceed only from the Love of "Goodness, and, confequently, is a most

God

"Godlike Difpofition; the latter may both fpring from selfish little Motives, and termi"nate in a narrow private Intereft.- -And this alone is fufficient to vindicate our Saviour's Scheme of Benevolence, and give us a high Idea of its Excellency and Perfection.' NEVERTHELESS, Mr. Fofter has thought fit to offer in the Second Place, a few Things, more directly, in anfwer to the Objection that has been made againft Chriftianity, from its not recommending, particularly, private Friendship and the Love of our Country. And ift, It has been already hinted, that the Chriftian. Principle of univerfal Benevolence includes both thefe, fo far as they are founded in Reason, and have any thing virtuous and praise-worthy in them. A Command to promote the general Good, neceffarily implies all the proper means of doing it; and confequently, every Inftance of private Friendship, and Zeal for the Interefts of particular Communities, that appears to have this natural Tendency. So that, in this view, Chriftianity may truly be faid to have recommended private Friendship and the Love of our Country. Efpecially, if we confider, that general Rules for the right Conduct of Life, are alone eternal and unchangeable Morality; and that the true Application of them to particular Cafes must be left to every Man's own Reafon, because it depends on a Variety of Circumftances, that alter the Expediency of Things. Apply this to the Point before us, and the Objection against Christianity will fall to the ground.

THE Author obferves farther, that general Benevolence is a fix'd, immutable, and univerfal Duty. Whereas Friendship, accor

ding

ding to the noble Author of the Characteristicks (fee Vol. I. p. 98. in the marginal Note) is a peculiar Relation, form'd by a Confent and Harmony of Minds, as well as founded in Virtue. From whence 'tis an undeniable Confequence, that it can't be every Man's Duty, fince it evidently depends on Circumftances that are quite out of our power. So that the recommending Friendship in the general, muft have been, not only needlefs, but very abfurd.

LET us confider, 2dly, that there has been very little need in any Age, to put Men upon cultivating particular Friendships, and the Love of their Country, because they have a natural Inclination to both; and the only danger is, that they will carry them to fuch an Excess, as to be prejudicial to the general Good. The Experience of our own Times, and the Hiftory of all Ages, is an ample Juftification of the Truth of this Remark. Friendships, fays "Mr. Fofter, have always been frequent enough. "But of what kind are they? Do they not fpring from Humour and Caprice, from a Harmony of odd, whimsical and unaccountable Tempers, from Singularity and Selfishness? "Or are they built upon the folid foundation "of Honour and Virtue? In like manner, "Zeal for the Intereft of a particular Country,

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is it not univerfal? But then is it truly bene"volent and publick spirited? Far from it? 'Tis "more commonly an abfurd and childish Preju"dice, that makes Men fo extravagantly fond of "themselves, as to treat all other Nations with

Infolence and Contempt.'Tis a Zeal that makes "an Idol of our Country, and is ready to facrifice even the good of the whole Species to it." There was no reason, then, why our Saviour

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fhould

"

fhould particularly inculcate thefe things. His bufinefs was rather to prevent and rectify the Abuse of them, to give a check to fuch narrow limited Affections; and this he has effectually done, by inforcing the Obligations of univerfal Benevolence, which will regulate all inferior Affections without deftroying them.

3dly, There was a particular Reafon, from > the Circumftances of the World at that time, why the Christian Religion fhould not directly and strongly recommend the Love of our Country, viz. Because then, this principle was fo much abus'd, as to be a general Nufance, and triumph over Juftice and Humanity. The Jews were fo partially fond of their own Nation, that they look'd upon themselves as the only Favourites of Heaven; which made them fevere and rigid in their Cenfures, and morofe and unfociable to all who were not of their Religion. And as for the Romans, whofe Love of their Country is reprefented as the very perfection of heroic Virtue, they were the Plagues and Scourges of Mankind, and had actually carried their Arms and Conquefts, and, together with them, Terror, Slavery, and Ruin, thro' the greatest part of the then known World. Was this now a time to recommend. narrow Views and an Attachment to particular Societies? The proper Leffon to be inculcated, was certainly univerfal Goodness, in order to put a stop to the Progress of Ambition, Avarice, and Luxury, which had fubverted Liberty, Juftice, and all focial Virtues, and which proceeded from an Excefs of the Love of our Country.

Laftly, Tho' the Chriftian Religion has not particularly enjoin'd private Friendhip, and the No. XXII. 1733.

VO L. IV.

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Love