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^ gtiacti ^ QV b ^^ eviep ^ iJeUveerv theiu - tl ! e ;«^ lfieWfes ^ , in the one ease ^ caa ojily be ascribed to our hopes and feats with respect to a future stat ^; in * K # dtihefr i it m * & * oj * ef&t& itt its * fall force during the present life .
ITiat the epithet 06 dabgerous may with gfcme reason be applied to the latter I certainly will not deny ; while of the former I am not less disposed ta ussert that , when impartialty examined , it will be found to be pro * iluctive of the most beneficial effects *
However indisputable these advantages . ' may be in my apprehension , the prejudices against the theory itself have been carried by many writers to an extraordinary length , and no one >
perhaps , has pronounced his sentiments in more unmeasured language than a late distinguished metaphysician in the northern part of this island . In his Lectures * on the Phi ,.
Josophy of the Human Mind , Dr » Brown thus expresses himself : " This form of the selfish system which , has ; beea embraced by many theological writers of undoubted piety and pu »
nty , is , notwithstanding , I cannot but think , as degrading to the human character as any other form of the doctrine of absolute selfishness ; or rather , it is in itself the most degr-ad * ing of all the foiins which the selfish
system can assume . " The reason alleged for this last assertion is , that the selfishness complained of is in this case rendered more offensive by the image of the Deity , which it continually presents to the mind " not to be loved , but to be courted with a
mockery of affection . " This , I confess , appears to rne to be the lan ^ guage of some narrow-minded declaiiner inveighing against those who reject his favourite creed , and not of a dispassionate and liberal philosor pher . But let us observe to what inferences these sentiments will
iaevitably carry us . In the first place , the man ivho in his conduct regards nothing but his immediate gratificataon , and who , for the sake of some present profit or pleasure , indulges «* e worst passions of his nature * , roust , according to Dr . Brown ' s asraertion , be much less selfish than the roan who devotes his whole life , and relinquishes au its enjoyments , to
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promote the wsiferei of [ - M& ftufelfai creatures * shouWhis mind |> e in mp % degree influenced by the heps otjgj ] B 9 H compense m another st ^ te of exists ence . Extraordinary a » it xo ^ y appear , this is truly E > j % B / $ oyra opt ** nian . " The sensualist of tfce-eamrr . rnon system o £ selfishnesa seems ta he
nte ^ ( erves , ) eve a m the brutaL stupidity in wliicli he is sunk , a being more worthy of esteem tbaa the selfish of another life ?> l This extr ^ ya ^ gant opinion can require no formal confutation . In the second place , ife this author's representation t >^ correct , then Christianity , iteelf is the le
most selfish system im ^ giiwb , Fmtare rewards and ; pjwjisjiinents ^ re constantl y placed in the view of Us disciples / and by these sanctions every piecept it Qont ^ ins , and every injunction to ioiitftte the exajupje of its Diyioe Founder , are powerfully enforced .
In answer , bow $ yer > to this accusation of selfishness against I > r . Palsy ' s theory , as well m against those to which it is allied , it has been affirmed that mrtaie * coflomeijced from
interested motives , will . at length become » :-habit > and % vill then , be pimctised without any regard , to th $ advantages Feauitiii ^ from it . Tliis * I allow ^ may unquestionably be tie case after a long perseverin g in the same cqui s& ;
biiitti still , in my opinion * the , intrinsic vtilue of the haltit . cjoeg not coogi ^ t in this ex £ n > pfcijoji ftom . i # tere $ te 4 vi ^ vvs when ext « endeil beymd our jtrjeo&tf ewistence * but ia the assurance wfeich it affords tb #£ , the virtuous
dispositioos thus fortneU in . thie agent vyill fye pfirmaueni } in their duration an ^ vmform in thek effects * I qaqi nearer concede that an enligbtenio 4 >« eg ^ t 3 cd ; in the mind of the genuine CUristi ^ u to ivis feljcity hj ^ reaft er . ^ ought ( to bs suffered to diiwini ^ k th ^ ro&ifit if the
term be evew aJlowa / l > Je ); Qt tihe duties which h ^ per& > r , i » & w ^ h pim / ctuajity . On the contrary * ^ freq u $ ntt r ^ currenpe to tU ^ coesequ ^ npeq gf p ux- actions iwuat add vigour and animation to the best-formed habits : a ^ nc ) to
tiirn our- view from t ^ Ue iutiu ^ iqi order to reader our cQadijMot , le % 3 inteiested , is to . &a ^ rilice ik real ajdvajar tage to the prejudice Qf qth ^^ arwj the influence of a na ^ k , TJ ^ t , wu s ^ surely he a m&at cteekjalil ^ ^ l ^ J ^ pss tif . selfi&bne& 3 it cw . b ^ ^)) e 4 ) , vyhich
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, vw ^ V * y # yfttf * 2 OUtgation briery emitm ^ A % M ^ . 61 *
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* Vol . IV , p . 91 .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1826, page 511, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2552/page/3/
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