Two dissertations, I. Concerning the end for which God created the world. II. The…

Of natural conscience, and the moral sense.

THERE is yet another disposition or principle, of great importance, natural to mankind; which, if we consider the consistence and harmony of nature's laws, may also be looked upon as in some sort arising from self-love, or self-union: and that is a disposition in man to be uneasy in a consciousness of being inconsistent with himself, and as it were, against himself, in his own actions. This appears particularly in the inclination ⟨p. 159⟩of the mind to be uneasy in the consciousness of doing that to others, which he should be angry with them for doing to him, if they were in his case, and he in theirs; or, of forbearing to do that to them, which he would be displeased with them for neglecting to do to him.

THERE is yet another disposition or principle, of great importance, natural to mankind; which, if we consider the consistence and harmony of nature's laws, may also be look'd upon as in some sort arising from self-love, or self-union: and that is a disposition in man to be uneasy in a consciousness of being inconsistent with himself, and as it were, against himself, in his own actions. This appears particularly in the inclination ⟨p. 159⟩of the mind to be uneasy in the consciousness of doing that to others, which he should be angry with them for doing to him, if they were in his case, and he in theirs; or, of forbearing to do that to them, which he would be displeased with them for neglecting to do to him.

I HAVE observed from time to time, that in pure love to others (i. e. love not arising from self-love) there's an union of the heart with others; a kind of enlargement of the mind, whereby it so extends itself as to take others into a man's self: and therefore it implies a disposition to feel, to desire, and to act as tho' others were one with ourselves. So, self-love implies an inclination to feel and act as one with ourselves: which naturally renders a sensible inconsistence with ourselves, and self-opposition, in what we ourselves choose and do, to be uneasy to the mind: which will cause uneasiness of mind to be the consequence of a male volent and unjust behaviour towards others and a kind of disapprobation of acts of this nature, and an approbation of the contrary. To do that to another, which we should be angry with him for doing to us, and to hate a person for doing that to us, which we should incline to and insist on doing to him, if we were exactly in the same case, is to disagree with ourselves, and contradict ourselves. It would be, for ourselves both to choose and adhere to, and yet to refuse and utterly reject, as it were the very same thing. No wonder, this is contrary to nature. No wonder, that such a self-opposition, and inward war with a man's self, naturally begets unquietness, and raises disturbance in his mind.