3. IF we should allow that to be universal, that in gratitude and anger there is the exercise of some kind of moral sense (as 'tis granted, there is something that may be so called.) All the moral sense, that is essential to those affections, is a sense of DESERT; which is to be referred to that sense of justice, before spoken of, consisting in an apprehension of that secondary kind of beauty, that lies in uniformity and proportion: which solves all the difficulty in the objection.—This, or some appearance of it, to a narrow private view, indeed attends all anger and gratitude. Others love and kindness to us, or their ill-will and injuriousness, appears to us to deserve our love, or our resentment. Or, in other words, it seems to us no other than just, that as they love us, and do us good, we also should love them, ⟨p. 152⟩and do them good. And so it seems just, that when others hearts oppose us, and they from their hearts do us hurt, our hearts should oppose them, and that we should desire they themselves may suffer in like manner as we have suffered: i. e. there appears to us to be a natural agreement, proportion, and adjustment between these things. Which is indeed a kind of moral sense, or sense of a beauty in moral things. But, as was before shown, it is a moral sense of a secondary kind, and is entirely different from a sense or relish of the original essential beauty of true virtue; and may be without any principle of true virtue in the heart. Therefore doubtless 'tis a great mistake in any to suppose, all that moral sense which appears and is exercised in a sense of desert, is the same thing as a love of virtue, or a disposition and determination of mind to be pleased with true virtuous beauty, consisting in public benevolence. Which may be further confirmed, if it be considered that even with respect to a sense of justice or desert, consisting in uniformity [and agreement between others actions towards us, and our actions towards them, in a way of well-doing, or of ill-doing] 'tis not absolutely necessary to the being of these passions of gratitude and anger, that there should be any notion of justice in them, in any public or general view of things;—as will appear by what shall be next observed.
3. IF we should allow that to be universal, that in gratitude and anger there is the exercise of some kind of moral sense (as 'tis granted, there is something that may be so called.) All the moral sense, that is essential to those affections, is a sense of DESERT; which is to be refer'd to that sense of justice, before spoken of, consisting in an apprehension of that secondary kind of beauty, that lies in uniformity and proportion: which solves all the difficulty in the objection.—This, or some appearance of it, to a narrow private view, indeed attends all anger and gratitude. Others love and kindness to us, or their ill-will and injuriousness, appears to us to deserve our love, or our resentment. Or, in other words, it seems to us no other than just, that as they love us, and do us good, we also should love them, ⟨p. 152⟩and do them good. And so it seems just, that when others hearts oppose us, and they from their hearts do us hurt, our hearts should oppose them, and that we should desire they themselves may suffer in like manner as we have suffered: i. e. there appears to us to be a natural agreement, proportion, and adjustment between these things. Which is indeed a kind of moral sense, or sense of a beauty in moral things. But, as was before shewn, it is a moral sense of a secondary kind, and is intirely different from a sense or relish of the original essential beauty of true virtue; and may be without any principle of true virtue in the heart. Therefore doubtless 'tis a great mistake in any to suppose, all that moral sense which appears and is exercised in a sense of desert, is the same thing as a love of virtue, or a disposition and determination of mind to be pleased with true virtuous beauty, consisting in publick benevolence. Which may be further confirm'd, if it be considered that even with respect to a sense of justice or desert, consisting in uniformity [and agreement between others actions towards us, and our actions towards them, in a way of well-doing, or of ill-doing] 'tis not absolutely necessary to the being of these passions of gratitude and anger, that there should be any notion of justice in them, in any publick or general view of things;—as will appear by what shall be next observed.
