Part III: ver fo properly performed, as when the chief motive for performing them is a reverential and religious regard to thofe general rules which require them. In the practice of the other virtues, our conduct fhould rather be directed by a certain idea of propriety, by a certain tafte for a particular tenor of conduct, than by any regard to a precife maxim or rule; and we fhould confider the end and foundation of the rule, more than the rule itfelf. But it is otherwife with regard to juftice: the man who in that refines the leaft, and adheres with the most obftinate ftedfaftnefs, to the general rules themfelves, is the most commendable, and the moft to be depended upon. Though the end of the rules of juftice be, to hinder us from hurting our neighbour, it may frequently be a crime to violate them, though we could pretend, with fome pretext of reason, that this particular violation could do no hurt. A man often becomes a villain the moment he begins, even in his own heart, to chicane in this manner. The moment he thinks of departing from the most staunch and positive adherence to what those inviolable precepts prefcribe to him, he is no longer to be trusted, and no man can say what degree of guilt he may not arrive at. The thief imagines he does no evil, when he steals from the rich, what he fupposes they may eafily want, and what poffibly they may never even know has been ftolen from them. The adulterer imagines he does no evil, when he corrupts the wife of his friend, provided

he covers his intrigue from the fufpicion of the hufband, and does not difturb the peace of the family. When once we begin to give way to fuch refinements, there is no enormity fo grofs of which we may not be capable.

The rules of juftice may be compared to the rules of grammar; the rules of the other virtues, to the rules which criticks lay down for the attainment of what is fublime and elegant in compofition. The one, are precife, accurate, and indifpenfible. The other, are loofe, vague, and indeterminate, and prefent us rather with a general idea of the perfection we ought to aim at, than afford us any certain and infallible directions for acquiring it. A man may learn to write grammatically by rule, with the most abfolute infallibility; and fo, perhaps, he may be taught to act juftly. But there are no rules whofe obfervance will infallibly lead us to the attainment of elegance or fublimity in writing, though there are some which may help us, in some 3 measure, to correct and afcertain the vague ideas which we might otherwise have entertained of thofe perfections: and there are no rules by the knowledge of which we can infallibly be taught to act upon all occafions with prudence, with juft magnanimity, or proper beneficence. Though there are fome which may enable us to correct and afcertain, in feveral refpects, the imperfect ideas which we might otherwife have entertained of those virtues.

It may fometimes happen, that with the most serious and earneft defire of acting fo as to deserve approbation, we may mistake the proper rules of conduct, and thus be misled by that very principle which ought to direct us. It is in vain to expect, that in this cafe mankind should entirely approve of our behaviour. They cannot enter into that abfurd idea of duty which influenced us, nor go along with any of the actions which follow from it. There is ftill, however, fomething refpectable in the character and behaviour of one who is thus betrayed into vice, by a wrong fenfe of duty, or by what is called an erroneous confcience.. How fatally foever he may be misled by it, he is ftill, with the generous and humane, more the object of commiferation than of hatred or refentment. They lament the weakness of human nature, which expofes us to fuch unhappy delufions, even while we are moft fincerely labouring after perfection, and endeavouring to act according to the best principle which can poffibly direct us. False notions of religion are almost the only causes which can occafion any very grofs perversion of our natural fentiments in this way; and that principle which gives the greatest authority to the rules of duty, is alone capable of distorting our ideas of them in any confiderable degree. In all other cafes commón fenfe is fufficient to direct us, if not to the most exquifite propriety of conduct, yet to fomething which is not very far from it; and provided we are in earnest defirous to do llew

"

259 well, our behaviour will always, upon the whole, be praife-worthy. That to obey the will of the Deity, is the first rule of duty, all men are agreed. But concerning the particular commandments which that will may impofe upon us, they differ widely from one another. In this, therefore, the greatest mutual forbearance and toleration is due; and though the defence of fociety requires that crimes should be punished, from whatever motives they proceed, yet a good man will always punish them with reluctance, when they evidently proceed from falfe notions of religious duty. He will never feel against those who commit them that indignation which he feels against other criminals, but will rather regret, and fometimes even admire their unfortunate firmnefs and magnanimity, at the very time that he punishes their crime. In the tragedy of Mahomet, one of the fineft of Mr. Voltaire's, it is well reprefented, what ought to be our fentiments for crimes which proceed from fuch motives. In that tragedy, two young people of different fexes, of the most innocent and virtuous dif- pofitions, and without any other weakness except what endears them the more to us, a mutual fondness for one another, are inftigated by the strongest motives of a false religion, to commit a horrid murder, that shocks all the principles of human nature: a venerable old man, who had expreffed the most tender affection for them both, for whom, notwithstanding he was the avowed enemy of S 2 their

their religion, they had both conceived the highest reverence and efteem, and who was in reality their father, though they did not know him to be fuch, is pointed out to them as a facrifice which God had expreffly required at their hands, and they are commanded to kill him. While they are about executing this crime, they are tortured with all the agonies which can arise from the struggle between the idea of the indifpenfibleness of religious duty on the one fide, and compaffion, gratitude, reverence for the age, and love for the humanity and virtue of the perfon whom they are going to deftroy, on the other. The reprefentation of this exhibits one of the moft interefting, and perhaps the most inftructive fpectacle that was ever introduced upon any theatre. The fenfe of duty, however, at laft prevails over all the amiable weakneffes of human nature. They execute the crime impofed upon them; but immediately difcover their error, and the fraud which had deceived them, and are distracted with horror, remorfe, and refentment." Such as are our fentiments for the unhappy Seid and Palmira, fuch ought we to feel for every perfon who is in this manner mifled by religion, when we are fure that it is really religion which mifleads him, and not the pretence of it, which is made a cover to fome of the worst of human paffions.

As a perfon may act wrong by following a wrong fenfe of duty, fo nature may fometimes prevail, and lead him to act right in oppofition