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The intellectual trace even a fuggeftion, that the minds and intellects of our antediluvian ancestors were

power of man are now neither more nor lefs perfect, than

were.

Antiquity not conclufive evidence of truth.

more vigorous or perfect, than thofe of their they formerly pofterity; though from the excess of their longevity they must have had the advantage of experimental information: yet Solomon, who was endowed with more wisdom, than any of his predeceffors, exifted long after this abbreviation of the natural days of man. I am free to own, it has ever appeared to me as unwarrantable to maintain, that the true principles of civil and religious liberty have only been difclofed to the prefent generation, as to attribute an exclufive preference to all the doctrines of our predeceffors, upon the mere fcore of antiquity. Every fucceeding age muft neceffarily have the advantages of obfervation and experience; but beyond these I can difcover no traits, that mark the fuperiority of the prefent age above any that have preceded it. The more closely we

*«For as our modern wits behold, mounted a pick-back on "the old, &c. Hudib. 1ft pt. 2d canto. v. 71, 72. A ban"ter on thofe modern writers, who, as Sir W. Temple "obferves, (Efay on ancient and modern Learning), that as "to knowledge, the moderns must have more, than the "antients, becaufe they have the advantage both of "theirs and their own; which is commonly illustrated "by a dwarf's ftanding upon a giant's fhoulders, or feeing more or farther than he." Grey's Hud. v. 1. p. 104.

attend

attend to the various excellencies of individuals within our own acquaintance, the more fully we shall be convinced, that the innate powers of men have not varied for the fe two thousand years; but that they have ever acquired a degree of excellence proportioned to the variety of the circumftances, that called them into action. Thus are obviously traced the various caufes, which through the fucceffion of ages, have given birth to, encouraged, and perfected the different arts and fciences. I cannot help differing, upon this point, from Dr. Priestley*, who fays, "That "the human fpecies itfelf is capable of a "fimilar and unbounded improvement; whereby mankind in a latter age are greatly fuperior to mankind, in a former age, the individuals being taken at the "fame time of life. Of this progrefs of the

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fpecies, brute animals are more incapable, "than they are of that relating to indivi"duals. No horse of this age feems to "have any advantage over other horfes of "former ages; and if there can be any im

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provement in the fpecies, it is owing to " our manner of breeding and training them: "but a man at this time, who has been "tolerably well educated, in an improved

Effay on the First Principles of Government, p. 2.

"Chriftian

Our prefent exno fuch advan

iftence gives us

tage over our

predeceffors as teaches.

Dr. Priestley

The defign of the work.

"Chriftian country, is a being poffeffed of "much greater power, to be, and to make,

happy, than a perfon of the fame age in "the fame or any other country fome cen"turies ago."

Hence, affured that this learned philofopher will not refufe me, on account of my differing from fome of his opinions, the common fuperiority of reafoning, which my existence in the prefent age gives me over all my anceftors and predeceffors, (though unconscious of the advantage) I lay in my full claim to it, and shall endeavour to fupport it more by the perfpicuity and strength of arguments gleaned from others, than by my own.

In the profecution of my defign, I fhall follow the order, which the fubject seems plainly to prefcribe: I fhall confider man, first, in the pure ftate of nature; then, in the general state of fociety; and lastly, in the state of the English government and conftitution; and as every Englishman, or perfon living under the protection of the English government, affumes or contracts a relative duty and obligation to the community, of which he is a member, I fhall endeavour to enforce the indifpenfible coercion of thefe duties and obligations, by the examination and expofition of the inftances, in which they may be infringed

and

and violated by crimes against the state; and I fhall conclude by a faithful narrative of the effects already produced in this island, by the diffemination of the very doctrines, which are now attempted to be revived with fuch infatuated zeal.

If Britons fhall chufe again to get up the old tragedy, I fhall but have given in the lift of the dramatis perfona, who are most qualified to keep up the genuine fpirit of the play.

A cool and collected revifal of the argument may determine my countrymen, either to the repetition, or irrevocable damnation, of the piece.

CHAP.

1

СНАР. І.

OF THE STATE OF NATURE.

Reafons for confidering the Jubject.

"THE

HE contemplation of the British conftitution in its origin, in its ftructure and in its effects, is the important and the

arduous

The trite adage of nil sub sole novum is more emphatically applicable to the fubject under our prefent confideration, than to any other. This fubject has in all ages been the primary object of the politician, the historian, and the philofopher; and in many ages, fuch have been the exalted ideas entertained of its dignity, that it has conftituted a very confiderable part of theology. As in religion, the written word of God, which, from its divine inspiration, muft effentially bear a determined and unequivocal meaning, is in difputes and differences often reforted to, and modified by the appellants to its authority, fo as to colour, countenance, and fupport the most extravagant and contradictory opinions; fo few or no political errors, treafons, rebellions, or ufurpations have at any time been attempted to be juftified, but by appealing and reforting to the authority of the Rights of Man. Since the fubject has been fo often and fo fully confidered by others, I shall think I give more fatisfaction to the public by collecting and arranging their opinions upon it, than by endeavouring to drefs and ferve up the old fubftance in the difguife of fome new fashion. I fhall

therefore

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