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

YEA, we are apt through' the narrowness of our views, in judging of the beauty of affections and actions to limit our consideration to only a small part of the created system. When private affections extend themselves to a considerable number, we are very ready to look upon them as truly virtuous, and accordingly to applaud them highly. ⟨p. 178⟩Thus it is with respect to love to a large party, or a man's love to his country. For tho' his private system contains but a small part even of the world of mankind, yet being a considerable number, through' the contracted limits of the mind and the narrowness of his views, they are ready to fill his mind and engross his •ight, and to seem as if they were all. Hence among the Romans love to their country was the highest virtue: tho' this affection of theirs, so much extolled among them, was employed as it were for the destruction of the rest of the world of mankind.—The larger the number is, that private affection extends to, the more apt men are, through' the narrowness of their sight, to mistake it for true virtue; because then the private system appears to have more of the image of the universal system. Whereas, when the circle it extends to, is very small, it is not so apt to be looked upon virtuous, or not so virtuous. As, a man's love to his own children.—

YEA, we are apt thro' the narrowness of our views, in judging of the beauty of affections and actions to limit our consideration to only a small part of the created system. When private affections extend themselves to a considerable number, we are very ready to look upon them as truly virtuous, and accordingly to applaud them highly. ⟨p. 178⟩Thus it is with respect to love to a large party, or a man's love to his country. For tho' his private system contains but a small part even of the world of mankind, yet being a considerable number, thro' the contracted limits of the mind and the narrowness of his views, they are ready to fill his mind and engross his •ight, and to seem as if they were all. Hence among the Romans love to their country was the highest virtue: tho' this affection of theirs, so much extolled among them, was employ'd as it were for the destruction of the rest of the world of mankind.—The larger the number is, that private affection extends to, the more apt men are, thro' the narrowness of their sight, to mistake it for true virtue; because then the private system appears to have more of the image of the universal system. Whereas, when the circle it extends to, is very small, it is not so apt to be look'd upon virtuous, or not so virtuous. As, a man's love to his own children.—