that we fhall always continue to feel them, as we feel them at prefent. We cannot conceive that they will either change or ceafe. Experience of fimilar or greater changes in ourselves, or a habit. of giving credit to what our parents, or tutors, or books teach us, may control this perfuafion; otherwife it renders youth very untractable; for they fee clearly and truly, that it is impoffible they fhould be happy under the circumftances propofed to them, in their prefent ftate of mind. After a fincere, but ineffectual endeavour, by the child, to accommodate his inclination to his parent's pleasure, he ought not to fuffer in his parent's affection, or in his fortunes. The parent, when he has reasonable proof of this, fhould acquiefce: at all events, the child is then at liberty to provide for his own happiness.

Parents have no right to urge their children upon marriages, to which they are averfe; nor ought in any fhape, to refent the children's difobedience to fuch commands. This is a different cafe from oppofing a match of inclination, because the child's mifery is a much more probable confequence; it being easier to live without a perfon that we love, than with one whom we hate. Add to this, that 'compulfion in marriage neceffarily leads to prevarication; as the reluctant party promises an affection, which neither exifts, nor is expected to take place and parental, like all human authority ceafes, at the point, where obedience becomes criminal.

In the above-mentioned, and in all contefts between parents and children, it is the parent's duty to reprefent to the child the confequences of his conduct; and it will be found his beft policy to reprefent them with fidelity. It is ufual for parents to exaggerate thefe defcriptions beyond probability, and by exaggeration to lofe all credit with their

children;

children; thus, in a great measure, defeating their own end.

Parents are forbidden to interfere, where a trust is repofed perfonally in the fon; and where, confequently, the fon was expected, and by virtue of that expectation is obliged, to purfue his own judgment, and not that of any other; as is the cafe with judicial magistrates, in the execution of their office; with members of the legiflature in their votes; with electors, where preference is to be given to certain prefcribed qualifications. The fon may affift his own judgment by the advice of his father, or of any one whom he chooses to confult: but his own judgment, whether it proceed upon knowledge or authority, ought finally to de

termine his conduct.

The duty of children to their parents was thought worthy to be made the fubject of one of the ten commandments; and, as fuch, is recognized by Chrift, together with the reft of the moral precepts of the decalogue, in various places of the gofpel.

The fame divine teacher's fentiments concerning the relief of indigent parents, appear fufficiently from that manly and deferved indignation, with which he reprehended the wretched cafuiftry of the Jewish expofitors, who, under the name of a tradition, had contrived a method of evading this duty, by converting, or pretending to convert, to the treafury of the temple, fo much of their property, as their diftreffed parent might be entitled by their law to demand."

Agreeably to this law of nature and Christianity, children are, by the law of England, bound to fupport, as well their immediate parents, as their grandfathers and grandmothers, or remoter anceftors, who stand in need of fupport.

Obedience to parents is enjoined by St. Paul to the Ephefians: "Children, obey your parents in the

$ 2

"Lord,

«Lord, for this is right;" and to the Coloffians, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this " is well pleafing unto the Lord." *

By the Jewish law, difobedience to parents was, in fome in fome extreme cafes, cafes, capital.

xxi. 18.

Deut.

* Upon which two phrafes, "this is right," and "for this is "well pleafing unto the Lord," being ufed by St. Paul in a fenfe perfectly parallel, we may obferve, that moral rectitude and conformity to the divine will, were, in his apprehenfion, the fame.

MORAN

MORAL PHILOSOPHY.

BOOK IV.

DUTIES TO OURSELVES.

HIS divifion of the fubject is retained mere

TH

ly for the fake of method, by which the writer and the reader are equally affifted. To the fubject itfelf it imports nothing; for the obligation of all duties being fundamentally the fame, it matters little under what clafs or title any of them are confidered. In ftrictnefs, there are few duties or crimes, which terminate in a man's felf; and, fo far as others are affected by their operation, they have been treated of in fome article of the preceding book. We have referved however to this head the rights of felf-defence; alfo the confideration of drunkennefs and fuicide, as offences against that care of our faculties, and preservation of our perfon, which we account duties, and call duties to ourLelves.

CHAP.

CHAP. I.

THE RIGHTS OF SELF-DEFENCE.

T has been afferted, that in a state of nature we might lawfully defend the moft infignificant right, provided it were a perfect determinate right, by any extremities which the obftinacy of the aggreffor made neceffary. Of this I doubt; becaufe I doubt whether the general rule be worth fuftaining at fuch an expence, and because, apart from the general confequence of yielding to the attempt, it cannot be contended to be for the augmentation of human happinefs, that one man fhould lofe his life or a limb, rather than another a penny-worth of his property. Nevertheless, perfect rights can only be diftinguished by their value; and it is impoffible to afcertain the value, at which the liberty of using extreme.violence begins. The perfon attacked muft balance, as well as he can, between the general confequence of yielding, and the particular effect of refiftance.

However, this right, if it exift in a state of nature, is fufpended by the establishment of civil fociety because thereby other remedies are provided against attacks upon our property, and because it is neceffary to the peace and fafety of the community, that the prevention, punishment, and redress of injuries be adjusted by public laws. Moreover, as the individual is affifted in the recovery of his right, or of a compenfation for it, by the public strength, it is no lefs equitable than expedient, that he fhould