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Two things are these – two separate things – & these separate things
are synonymous with "the idea of good", the sight of God – the enjoyment of God. The God of Christianity – the God
of the bible – this cannot be – for He is not to be seen – he is invisible – besides
what can indeed be meant by the God of the Platonists & Academics – which of their Gods
as they were all heathens and had Gods by thousands –Which of them did they ever enjoy? & how
did they enjoy them?

But there is we are still at sea, – & another set cry out. "The habit
of virtue" – the habit of virtue is the summum bonum: either this is the jewel
itself or the casket in which it will be found. Lie all your life long in your bed
with the reh rheumatism in your loins, the stone in your bladder, & the gout in
both your feet – have but the habit of virtue, – and you have the summum
bonum. Much good may it do you. Your condition will be no impediment –
negative virtue is virtue no doubt. It will not be easy to fall into the
practice of vice. And of your summum bonum the seat, if it be any where
must be in your head. Now would you consent be content to have the stone in your
bladder – the rheumatism in your loins, & the gout in your feet, be it even
even though you could get your head crammed with summum bonums?

Lest the sense of this nonsense should be mistaken, behold the Oxford Instructor with a
remark of Kindred sagacity at his fingers' ends, "for" says he "reason shows
that a naked habit is not of any – the least value – unless it be referred to
observation and brought forward into act & exercise." A habit without an
act! A habit in existence & not so much as a single act in it! A habit
formed & out of the acts which make the habit not so much as a single act
ever done! and so, lest you should fall into any such error, and, in consequence
any such misconduct, as that of persevering in the habit of virtue, without
ever having performed a single act of virtue, – the valuable information
thus given is benignantly bestowed.

But to know where the summum bonum is not, is of little service enough
unless you can also learn where it is. And we have at last. Virtue – virtue
itself, that is the summum bonum.

Ponendum est igitur summum hominis bonum in ipså Virtute.† † p 10
What? In the habit of virtue? O no! not in any such thing: – that is the
very error against which you have just been warned – have virtue – you
need not trouble yourself about the habit of it. You may indeed have it
if you like, – but no summum bonum will you get by it.

Ponendum est igitur summum hominis bonum in ipsâ Virtute.
Nothing can be more positive – nothing more decided, whereupon immediately upon
the back of this concise nonsense comes a torrent of diffuse nonsense by which
every thing that was settled is wasted away.

'And therefore' continues the Instructor 'and therefore
in acting according to the best and most perfect virtue, consists the essence of human

Identifier: | JB/015/161/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	161	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f30
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[prince of wales feathers] i&m 1818]]
Marginals		Paper Producer	arthur wellesley, duke of wellington
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1818
Notes public		ID Number	5377
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