第1章

TotheRightHonourableDAVIDEARLofBUCHANViscountAucterhouse,LordCardrossandGlendovachie,OneoftheLordsCommissionersofPolice,andLordLieutenantoftheCountiesofStirlingandClackmannaninNorth—Brittain。

MYLORD,THEHonouryouhavedoneourFamilyObligethustomakealljustAcknowedgmentsofit:andthereisnoFormofAcknowledgmentinourpower,moreworthyofYourLordship’sAcceptance,thanthisDedicationoftheLastWorkofourHonoured&;LearnedFather。EncouragedhereuntobytheKnowledgewehaveofYourLordship’sJudiciousRelishofuniversalLearning,andSublimeVirtue;webegtheFavourofYourAcceptanceofit,whichwillverymuchObligeourFamilyingeneral,andHerinparticular,whois,MyLord,YourLordship’smosthumbleServant,ELIZABETHLITTELTON。

ThePrefacetoChristianMoralsTHEPREFACE。

IFanyOne,afterhehasreadReligioMedici&;

theensuingDiscourse,canmakeDoubt,whetherthesamePersonwastheAuthorofthemboth,hemaybeAssuredbytheTestimonyofMrsLITTLETON,Sr。THOMASBROWN’sDaughter,whoLivedwithherFather,whenitwascomposedbyHim;&;who,atthetime,readitwrittenbyhisownHand:&;

alsobytheTestimonyofOthers,(ofwhomIamOne)whoreadtheMS。oftheAuthor,immediatelyafterhisDeath,andwhohavesinceReadtheSame;

fromwhichithathbeenfaithfully&;exactlyTranscribedforthePress。

TheReasonwhyitwasnotPrintedsooneris,becauseitwasunhappilyLost,bybeingMislay’damongOtherMSSforwhichSearchwaslatelymadeinthePresenceoftheLordArch—BishopofCanterbury,ofwhichhisGrace,byLetter,InformedMrsLITTLETON,whenhesenttheMStoHer。ThereisnothingprintedintheDiscourse,orintheshortnotes,butwhatisfoundintheOriginalMSoftheAuthor,exceptonlywhereanOversighthadmadetheAdditionorTranspositionofsomewordsnecessary。

JOHNJEFFERY

Arch—DeaconofNorwich。

ChristianMorals,PartICHRISTIANMORALSPARTI。

Sect。I。

TREADsoftlyandcirumspectlyinthisfunambulatoryTrackandnarrowPathofGoodness:PursueVirtuevirtuously:

LevennotgoodActionsnorrenderVirtuesdisputable。StainnotfairActswithfoulIntentions:MaimnotUprightnessbyhaltingConcomitances,norcircumstantiallydepravesubstantialGoodness。[Funambulatory,fromL。fun—is,arope,+ambulare:rope—walking]

ConsiderwhereaboutthouartinCebes’sTable,orthatoldPhilosophicalPinax*oftheLifeofMan:whetherthouartyetintheRoadofuncertainties;whetherthouhastyetentredthenarrowGate,gotuptheHillandasperousway,whichleadethuntotheHouseofSanity,ortakenthatpurifyingPotionfromthehandofsincereErudition,whichmaysendTheeclearandpureawayuntoavirtuousandhappyLife。[TheTabulaorPinaxof\"Cebes\",traditionallyidentifiedwithCebesofThebes。]

InthisvirtuousVoyageofthyLifehullnotaboutliketheArkwithouttheuseofRudder,Mast,orSail,andboundfornoPort。LetnotDisappointmentcauseDespondency,nordifficultydespair。ThinknotthatyouareSailingfromLimatoManillia,whenyoumayfastenuptheRudder,andsleepbeforetheWind;butexpectrougherSeas,Flaws,andcontraryBlasts,&;’tiswellifbymanycrossTacksandVeeringsyouarriveatthePort;forwesleepinLyonsSkinsinourProgressuntoVirtue,andweslidenot,butclimbuntoit。

SitnotdowninthePopularFormsandcommonLevelofVirtues。OffernotonlyPeaceOfferingsbutHolocaustsuntoGod:whereallisduemakenoreserve,andcutnotaCumminSeedwiththeAlmighty:ToserveHimsinglytoserveourselvesweretoopartialapieceofPiety,notliketoplaceusintheillustriousMansionsofGlory。

Sect。II。

RESTnotinanOvation*butaTriumphoverthyPassions。LetAngerwalkhangingdownthehead:LetMalicegoManicled,&;Envyfetter’dafterthee。BeholdwithintheethelongtrainofthyTrophiesnotwithoutthee。MakethequarrellingLapithytessleep,andCentaureswithinlyequiet。ChainuptheunrulyLegionofthybreast。

Leadthineowncaptivitycaptive,andbeCæ;sarwithinthyself。*OvationapettyandminorKindofTriumph。

Sect。III。

HEthatisChastandContinentnottoimpairhisstrength,orhonestforfearofContagion,willhardlybeHeroicallyvirtuous。Adjournnotthisvirtueuntillthattemper,whenCatocouldlendouthisWife,&;impotentSatyrswriteSatyrsuponLust:

ButbechastinthyflamingDays,whenAlexanderdar’dnottrusthiseyesuponthefairSistersofDarius,andwhensomanythinkthereisnootherwaybutOrigen’s*。*WhoissaidtohaveCastratedhimself。

Sect。IV。

SHOWthyArtinHonesty,andloosenotthyVirtuebythebadManageryofit。BeTemperate&;Sober,nottopreserveyourbodyinanabilityforwantonends,nottoavoidtheinfamyofcommontransgressorsthatway,andtherebytohopetoexpiateorpalliateobscureandcloservices,nottospareyourpurse,norsimplytoenjoyhealth;butinonewordthattherebyyoumaytrulyserveGod,whicheverysicknesswilltellyouyoucannotwelldowithouthealth。ThesickMan’sSacrificeisbutalameOblation。PiousTreasureslay’dupinhealthfuldayspleadforsicknonperformances:withoutwhichwemustneedslookbackwithanxietyuponthelostopportunitiesofhealth,andmayhavecauserathertoenvythanpitytheendsofpenitentpublickSufferers,whogowithhealthfullprayersuntothelastSceneoftheirlives,andintheIntegrityoftheirfacultiesreturntheirSpirituntoGodthatgaveit。

Sect。V。

BECharitablebeforewealthmaketheecovetous,andloosenotthegloryoftheMite。*IfRichesencrease,letthymindholdpacewiththem,andthinkitnotenoughtobeLiberal,butMunificent。ThoughaCupofcoldwaterfromsomehandmaynotbewithoutitsreward,yetsticknotthouforWineandOylfortheWoundsoftheDistressed,&;treatthepoor,asourSaviourdidtheMultitude,tothereliquesofsomebaskets。Diffusethybeneficenceearly,andwhilethyTreasurescalltheeMaster:TheremaybeanAtroposofthyFortunesbeforethatofthyLife,andthywealthcutoffbeforethathour,whenallMenshallbepoor;fortheJusticeofDeathlooksequallyuponthedead,&;CharonexpectsnomorefromAlexanderthanfromIrus。

*Mark12:42ff。

Sect。VI。

GIVEnotonlyuntoseven,butalsountoeight*,thatisuntomorethanmany。Thoughtogiveuntoeveryonethatasketh**mayseemsevereadvice,yetgivethoualsobeforeasking,thatis,wherewantissilentlyclamorous,andmensNecessitiesnottheirTonguesdoloudlycallforthyMercies。Forthoughsometimesnecessitousnessbedumb,ormiseryspeaknotout,yettrueCharityissagacious,&;

willfindouthintsforbeneficence。AcquaintthyselfwiththePhysiognomyofWant,andlettheDeadcoloursandfirstlinesofnecessitysuffisetotelltheethereisanobjectforthybounty。Sparenotwherethoucanstnoteasilybeprodigal,andfearnottobeundonebymercy。ForsincehewhohathpityonthepoorlendethuntotheAlmightyRewarder,whoobservesnoIdes***buteverydayforhispayments;CharitybecomespiousUsury,ChristianLiberalitythemostthrivingindustry,andwhatweadventureinaCockboatmayreturninaCarrackuntous。§;HewhothuscastshisbreadupontheWatershallsurelyfinditagain;forthoughitfallethtothebottom,itsinksbutliketheAxoftheProphet,toariseagainuntohim。§;§;*Ecclesiastes。

**Luke。

***[Theidesofthemonth,accordingtoDr。Johnson(1756

ed。),wasthedateonwhich\"moneylentoutatinterestwascommonlyrepaid\"。

CompareMilton’sDivorce\"ourenemiesexpecttoseetheexpectationoftheChurchtir’doutwithdependenciesandindependencieshowtheywillcompound,andinwhatCalends。\"

§;[Cockboat,aship’sboat,henceatypeofthesmallestvessel;carrack,agalleon。

§;§;2Kings6:5—7。]