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。]