horted him to do, that in him the wish will be realized, to him in due time the prayer granted, which was uttered by that living Teacher of whom he speaks with gratitude as of a benefactor, when, in his character of philosophical Poet, having thought of Morality as implying in its essence voluntary obedience, and producing the effect of order, he transfers in the transport of imagination, the law of moral to physical natures, and having contemplated, through the medium of that order, all modes of existence as subservient to one spirit, concludes his address to the power of Duty in the following words: To humbler functions, awful Power! The confidence of reason give! And in the light of Truth thy Bondman let me live! W. W. THE FRIEND. Section the Second. ON THE GROUNDS OF MORALS AND RELIGION, AND THE DISCIPLINE OF THE MIND REQUISITE FOR A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAME. I know, the seeming and self-pleasing wisdom of our times consists much in cavilling and unjustly carping at all things that see light, and that there are many who earnestly hunt after the publike fame of Learning and Judgment by this easily trod and despicable path, which, notwithstanding, they tread with as much confidence as folly: for that, oftimes, which they vainly and unjustly brand with opprobie, outlives their fate, and flourisheth <when it is forgot that ever any such, as they, had Being. -Dedication to Lord Herbert of Ambrose Parey's Works by Thomas Johnson, the Translator, 1634, ESSAY I. We cannot but look up with reverence to the advanced natures of the naturalists and moralists in highest repute amongst us: and wish they had been heightened by a more noble principle, which had crowned all their various sciences with the principle science, and in their brave strayings after truth helpt them to better fortune than only to meet with her handmaids, and kept them from the fate of Ulysses, who wandering through the shades met all the ghosts, yet could not see the queen. J. H. (JOHN HALL!) his Motion to the Parliament of England concerning the Advancement of Learning. THE preceding section had for its express object the principles of our duty as citizens, or morality as applied to politics. According to his scheme there remained for THE FRIEND first, to treat of the principles of morality generally, and then on those of religion. But since the commencement of this edition, the question has repeatedly arisen in my mind, whe ther morality can be said to have any principle distinguishable from religion, or religion any substance divisible from morality? Or should I attempt to distinguish them by their objects, so that morality were the religion which we owe to things and persons of this life, and religion our morality toward God and the permanent concerns of our own souls, and those of our brethren: yet it would be evident, that the latter must involve the former, while any pretence to the former without the latter would be as bold a mockery as, if having withheld an estate from the rightful owner, we should seek to appease our conscience by the plea, that we had not failed to bestow alms on him in his beggary. It was never my purpose, and it does not appear to be the want of the age, to bring together the rules and inducements of worldly prudence. But to substitute these for the laws of reason and conscience, or even to confound them under one name, is a prejudice, say rather a profanation, which I became more and more reluctant to flatter by even an appearance of assent, though it were only in a point of form and technical arrangement. |