as human penetration does not reach so far as to judge of internal characters, we cannot upon any rational pretence pronounce ourselves preferable to others, nor confequently ought to love our fellow-creatures at all lefs than ourselves. It is true, that the order of human affairs is fuch, as to direct every man to apply himself to the conducting of his own concerns, and confulting his own intereft; because every man knows beft, and is therefore the fitteft, to undertake the management of his own concerns, temporal and fpiritual. By which means every man's concerns are likely to be managed to the best purpose. But it does not follow from thence, that any man ought in his own mind to prefer himself to another, or to love himself more than his neighbour.

Whoever loves his neighbour as himself, will fhew his affection by confulting his interest in all things which may concern either his body, his foul, his fortune, or reputation. For every man, who rationally loves himself, will ftudy his own intereft with respect to these four great con

cerns.

To confult our neighbour's intereft, is, to do him no injury; to prevent, as much as in us lies, any other person from injuring him; to do him juftice in every respect, and, beyond justice, to fhew him all the kindness in our power.

To be negatively good, if we proceed no farther, is deferving no more praise than a stock or

a ftone. And those selfish and narrow-hearted people, whose whole praife is, that they do no harm, are not to be reckoned upon as members of fociety; but are mere cyphers in the creation. Such fordid difpofitions, as will admit no thought of any thing but felf, can never be fit for any place in that more extenfive future fociety, which will be compofed wholly of beings ennobled and perfected by virtue and univerfal benevolence. For in that higher ftate, every individual will be connected with the whole, and the whole with every individual. So that there will be no detached or separate beings. This fhews the neceffity of our becoming habituated to confider ourfelves as parts of the whole, and of enlarging our minds by an extenfive benevolence. This also fhews the strange abfurdity of making retirement from fociety, in the active time of life, a part of religion; as by that unnatural and monftrous practice one third part of our duty is wholly cut off, and the human mind, which ought by all poffible methods to be drawn and engaged to fociety, is detached and separated from it, and habituated to think with horror of the very state for which it was formed.

Affection to our neighbour will prevent our injaring him, and incline us to do him the utmoft justice, first as to his fortune, or poffeffions. I begin with this, as that part of our neighbours concerns, which is of the leaft confequence; intending to proceed afterwards to thofe which.

touch

touch more nearly. Now the foundation of property is in reafon, or rectitude; that is to fay, That a perfon may in fuch a manner come to be poffeffed of a portion of the good things of life, that he may have an exclufive right to it, against all mankind; so that for any other to deprive him of fuch poffeffion, against his confent, would be iniquitous. As the infinite Author of all things has an unquestionable title to all creatures and things in the universe, it is evident, that he may in the course of his providence give to any man the poffeffion of any of the good things of life; and what He gives cannot without injuftice be, by any private perfon, forcibly or clandeftinely taken away. At the fame time, the general consent of fociety, or the law of the country, in which a perfon lives, may, for wife and generally beneficial purposes, render property, otherwise rightful, not tenable; and may make all things common, except where the Divine law has abfolutely prohibited alienation, as in matrimony. In a country, where exclufive property is established and fupported by law, or mutual agreement, a right to valuable poffeffions may come, first, by birth. It is plainly agreeable to reason, that a parent provide for his own off-fpring, preferably to ftrangers. The natural affection of even the inferior creatures for their young, leads to this. By the fame rule all fucceffions among perfons related by marriage, or blood, are equitably, and legally established; and it becomes injustice

to

to deprive any one of property fo acquired. The fruits of a perfon's ingenuity, or labour, are alfo lawful property. Purchase is the giving what one had a right to, for fomething which belonged to another; and therefore purchase gives a just right. Free gift, from one who has power to give, makes a juft title. In things, which have been claimed by no one, the firft poffeffion. gives a title, as in the cafe of unhabited countries. To feize a country by force of arms, to the prejudice of the original inhabitants, is a flagrant injuftice. For as the firft entrance into an uninhabited country, being by the direction of Providence, gives the first discoverers a title to it, it is evident, that no perfon can, without violating the laws of justice, disturb the first poffeffors in their property, or pretend to a fettlement in that country, but by agreement with the first poffeffors.

I do not think it neceffary to my purpofe, to determine with the utmost exactness the boundaries of property, or how far one perfon may lawfully encroach upon another's right. Whoever fincerely loves his neighbour with the fame measure of affection as himself, will be as tender of his property, as he would with others to be of his own; and whoever refolves to regulate his conduct according to rectitude, will be more delicately fearful of breaking in upon another's right, than. of lofing part of his own. And with the utmost reason. For in violating his neighbour's right, VOL. II. N

he

he becomes guilty before God; whereas in lofing his own, the worst consequence is, his being deprived of what is of no great value in itself, and which he must foon leave behind him.

Whatever practices tend to the violation of any person's just property, they are all contrary to the affection we ought to entertain for our neighbour, and to ftrict rectitude. Whether fuch practices are openly violent, or more indirect and concealed, the confequences being the fame, the vice is the fame; unless where increased or diminished by circumstances of greater or lefs aggravation. Thus, receiving, or concealing, the property of another, whether stolen, robbed, or found, if the proprietor is known, or affifting or countenancing another in fuch practices, is the fame injury to our neighbour, as direct theft.

The most extensive and ruinous violation of property, is that which is committed by thofe fcourges and curfes of this lower world, Tyrants. When one of those furies, the difgrace and horror of the human fpecies, breaks loose upon mankind, a whole kingdom is robbed, a quarter of the world plundered. And in that day, when all differences of rank will be at an end; dreadful in that day will be the charge against those who, being by Divine providence raised for the general happiness of mankind, have used their power only to spread extenfive misery and diftrefs among God's creatures.

Whoever