course, in which I propose more extensively to handle this subject. Suffice it now to say, that but for this institution children would neither be loved, nor preserved, nor educated. The substance of all education is the establishment of good habits. Habits extend alike to the body and mind; and equally influence our thoughts and affections, our language and conduct. Without them, nothing in the human character, or human life, is efficacious, permanent, or useful. To establish them therefore in the morning of life, is the great business of all wise and well directed education. But habits are formed only by the frequent and long continued repetition of the same measures; and nothing ever becomes habitual, except that which has been long and often repeated. To accomplish such repetition, nothing will suffice but the steady affection of married parents; that is, so far as useful and moral purposes are concerned. Of course, but for this institution, children would never be habitually trained to industry, to economy, to submission, or to good order; nor to sweetness of disposition, tenderness of affection, amiableness of manners, offices of kindness, or any other useful conduct. Of course, when they were not left to perish, they would grow up without knowledge, useful principles, or useful habits; without the knowledge or love of good order; without amiableness, and without worth. Of course, they would become mere beasts of prey. Not only would civilized life, with all its arts and improvements, with all the blessings of rational freedom and good government, with all the superior blessings of morality and religion, vanish from under heaven; but new horrors would be added to the society of savages. The world would become one vast den, and all its inhabitants would be changed into wolves and tigers. 6. Were the affairs of mankind thrown together in a common stock, (according to the scheme of the objector) as all would know that every man was entitled alike to the fruit of the labours of all, none would labour except for the present moment. Neither inclination nor duty will ever prompt any man to labour for another, who while equally able will not labour for himself. That inclination will not produce this effect, I need not attempt to prove; that duty will not, is alike the decision of the Scriptures and common-sense. He that will not work, neither let him eat,' is equally the judicial sentence of both. In the present state of man, amid all the advantages furnished to industry by education, habit, example, and reward, the number of idlers is not small. In the proposed state, it would include the whole number of the human race. There would therefore be originally no disposition to labour. Should we, however, suppose some tendencies of this nature to exist, a complete discouragement would be thrown on all, by the knowledge that the proper reward of every industrious effort would either be wholly prevented, or snatched away by the hands of those who would not labour at all. Of course, mere necessaries, such as food and clothes, habitations and fuel, would be provided only in the degree which absolute necessity demanded, even by those who were industriously inclined. What then could become of the rest? Plainly, where they did not plunder, they would perish. As therefore necessaries only would be provided, and even these only in the most stinted manner, it is evident that all the comforts of men would vanish at once. All the blessings of civilized life, its knowledge, arts, refinement, and religion, would cease to exist. There would be neither schools nor churches; for none would be inclined nor able to build them. There would be neither instructors nor ministers, neither legislators nor magistrates. Law, protection, and justice, learning and religion, together with a host of blessings which they lead in their train, would visit the world no more. 7. All the duties of man respect especially the objects which he best knows; those particularly which are most and most commonly within his reach; and to which he can most frequently and effectually extend his beneficence. ་ Man owes more to the poor in his neighbourhood, to his neighbours, generally, to the town and the country in which he lives than to others. The reason is obvious. It is in his power to do them more good, and God has placed him where he is that he may do this very good. For the same reason he owes more to his own family; because he can do more good to the members of it than to any other equal collection of mankind. As therefore it is the indispensable duty of all men to do the most good in their power, and as this is the direct dictate, the genuine tendency, of benevolence, so it is certain, that the division of mankind into families furnishes the fairest, and the only fair, foundation for accomplishing this purpose in a successful manner. On any other supposable plan, instead of increasing the efficacy of benevolence, or multiplying the enjoyments of mankind, we should in a great measure cramp the former and destroy the latter. REMARKS. 1. From these observations it is evident, that no objection lies, from the nature of benevolence, against this great requisition of the Gospel. From the considerations which have been alleged it is manifest, that the arrangement of mankind into families is the foundation of more possible and more actual good than could be accomplished by any other means; of more, if man were perfectly disinterested, and yet possessed of his present limited capacity; of incalculably more, as man really is—a selfish, fallen creature. At the same time infinitely more evil is prevented. The spel therefore has directed the efforts of human benevolence in the best manner, and so, that they may be truly said to be employed with the highest advantage. At the same time the wisdom of God is strongly manifested in furnishing every individual of the human race with so desirable a field for the exercise of his benevolence. In each case this field is at his door, always within his reach, easily comprehended, necessarily delightful, ever inviting and ever rewarding his labours. At the same time, it is sufficiently wide to employ and exhaust all his contrivance, and all his áctive powers. Nowhere else could he do so much good; and the utmost which he can do can be done here. This field is also provided for every man. Objects of beneficence are furnished to him of course, and for all those objects an efficient benefactor is supplied. Thus, in the simplest of all modes, is provision effectually made for the beneficence of all, and the comfort of all. At the same time this happy arrangement becomes of course the foundation of the happiest distribution of mankind into larger societies, and the means of uniting to them, in the strongest and most enduring manner, the attachment of the individuals. He therefore, whose superior powers and opportunities enable him to extend the offices of good-will beyond this little field, has one which is wider always spread around him, where these superior powers may always be advantageously employed. This more extended scene of usefulness is a mere appendage to the other. Were there no families, there would be no country; were there no little spheres of beneficence, there would be no great one; and were goodwill not exercised first towards those who are near, it would never be extended to those who are distant. The kindness learned by the fire-side, and practised towards the domestic circle, is easily spread by him who is invested with sufficient talents through a country, or extended over a world. 2. These observations clearly show the folly of Godwin's system of human perfectibility. This wretched apostle of atheism, with a weakness exceeded only by his audacity, has undertaken, in form, to show himself wiser than his Maker. For this purpose he has boldly declared marriage to be an unjust monopoly, and the institution of families to be the means of preventing the happiness and perfection of man. Of this perfection a promiscuous concubinage, and a community of labours and of property are, in his opinion, essential constituents. Nor has the whole concurring experience of mankind, invariably opposed to his doctrires, been sufficient to awaken him from his dreaming speculations to sober thought, and the exercise of common sense. This system, if it may be called such, this crude gathering together of ideas into a mob, he professedly founds on the doctrine of disinterested good-will; and these he professes to be the genuine consequences of this glorious principle. Were they indeed its consequences, every good man would be struck with amazement and horror; for they would undoubtedly annihilate all the comfort, peace, and hopes of mankind. That benevolence, which is the only virtue, would prove the most fruitful and efficacious cause of absolute destruction of all human good; and its glorious character, instead of being the voluntary cause of happiness, would be exchanged for that of being only and fatally the voluntary cause of misery. Who, for example, would labour, if he were uncertain that Mul he should enjoy the fruit of his efforts; much more, if he were assured that he should not enjoy it? What multitudes now refuse to labour when completely secure of all its products! Were this stimulus to industry taken away, the exertions of man would terminate in a moment and the world would become the seat of universal inexertion and idleness. The food, clothes, and other comforts now brought into existence by the toil of man, are barely sufficient to supply his immediate wants. All the food annually produced is annually consumed. Multitudes are scantily supplied; while always some, and in particular seasons great numbers, even in industrious and fruitful countries, perish with hunger. Suppose half the labour by which food is furnished were to cease, what would be the consequence? The answer cannot be mistaken. titudes must immediately die, and still greater multitudes perish by gradual suffering and lingering want. The young particularly, the infirm, the feebler sex, together with all those unaccustomed to labour at all, or unacquainted with that kind of labour by which food is produced, must, where they did not subsist by plundering others, become speedily victims to famine. Within the period of a single generation, the present population of the globe would be reduced to that of an American wilderness. China, India, and Europe would be emptied at once. The arts of life, the knowledge, the order, the safety, the refinement, the humanity, the morals, and the religion of civilized society would vanish; and hunting, and scouting, and pawawing be substituted in their stead. The regions which are now beautified with verdant fields, and enriched with luxuriant harvests, whose hills and plains are adorned with cheerful villages and splendid cities, in which thousands of churches invite mankind to the worship of God, and ten thousands of schools allure their children to knowledge and improvement; would become a vast Patagonian desert, gloomily set with here and there a solitary weekwam, wandered over at times by the prowling foot of a savage, and, when undisturbed by the warwhoop, the shrieks of terror, or the groans of suffering, hushed into the universal sleep of silence and death. That such would be the fact is certain, because, where property has for a length of time continued unsafe, it has all regularly existed. One half of the story, however dismal the recital may |