PROPOSITION III. MY third propofition is this; that from this book called the New Teftament, may be collected a fyftem of ethics, in which every moral precept founded on reafon is carried to a higher degree of purity and perfection, than in any other of the antient philofophers of preceding ages; every moral precept founded on false principles is entirely omitted, and many new precepts added, peculiarly correfponding with the new object of this religion. By moral precepts founded on reafon, I mean all thofe, which enforce force the practice of fuch duties as reafon informs us muft improve our natures, and conduce to the happiness of mankind: fuch are piety to God, benevolence to men, justice, charity, temperance, and fobriety, with all those, which prohibit the commiffion of the contrary vices, all which debase our natures, and, by mutual injuries, introduce univerfal diforder, and confequently univerfal mifery. By precepts founded on falfe principles, I mean thofe which recommend fictitious virtues productive of none of thefe falutary effects, and therefore, however celebrated and admired, are in fact no virtues at all; fuch are valour, patriotifm, and friendship. That virtues of the firft kind are carried to a higher degree of purity and perfection by the chriftian religion than by any other, it is here unnecessary to prove, because this is a truth, which has been fo frequently demonftrated by her friends, and never once denied by the most determined of her adverfaries; but it will be proper to fhew, that thofe of the latter fort are most judiciously omitted; because they have really no intrinsic merit in them, and are totally incompatible with the genius and fpirit of this inftitution. Valour, Valour, for inftance, or active courage, is for the most part conftitutional, and therefore can have no more claim to moral merit, than wit, beauty, health, ftrength, or any other endowment of the mind or body; and fo far is it from producing any falutary effects by introducing peace, order, or happiness into fociety, that it is the ufual perpetrator of all the violences, which from retaliated injuries diftract the world with bloodfhed and devaftation. It is the -engine by which the ftrong are enabled to plunder the weak, the proud to trample upon the humble, and the guilty to opprefs the innocent, it is the chief inftrument E 3 which which Ambition employs in her unjust pursuits of wealth and power, and is therefore fo much extolled by her votaries: it was indeed congenial with the religion of pagans, whofe gods were for the moft part made out of deceased heroes, exalted to heaven as a reward for the mischiefs which they had perpetrated upon earth, and therefore with them this was the first of virtues, and had even engroffed that denomination to itself; but whatever merit it may have affumed among pagans, with chriftians it can pretend to none, and few or none are the occafions in which they are permitted to exert it: they are fo far from being allowed to inflict |