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God is not good, is not a benevolent being if he prohibits our possessing
the least atom of clear happiness which he has
given us the physical capacity faculty of attaining.
2
If we cannot depend upon his benevolence
we cannot depend upon his Justice, we
can not depend upon any of his moral
attributes.
3
If God is good, he prohibits nothing whereby that can
encrease the clear stock of happiness can
be encreased: We can then never find a motive for abstaining from any such act in any prohibition of the Deity if he is not good, that is,
if he prohibits any act whereby the clear
stock of happiness can be encreased, we
can still find no motive for abstaining from
any such act in any prohibition thus:
By taking away his Benevolence his
whole moral character, his veracity is destroy'd
we have no reason to suppose he will punish
from his declaring that he will punish: nor
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that he will reward, from his declaring
that he will reward.
4
If we are to be made miserable without
cause hereafter; it there is but so much the
more reason for our making ourselves
as happy as we can here.
5
If Divines refuse to take acknowledge the conduceability
of an action to the happiness of this life for
the standard of it's rectitude: If they represent
their Religion (that is the true Religion according
to their notion of it) as prohibiting any
act which is upon the whole conducive to
the happiness of this life - let them be consistent
- let them not take credit to their
Religion for in the name of its being thus conduceable conducive:
let them not stigmatize unbelief upon
the score of its being disconducible - let
them acknowledge their Religion (I shall
say their Religion) to be at hostility to the
state: the end which it has in view repugnant to the end which
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the state has in view - let them talk
no more of an Alliance - let them no longer
affect to treat their interests as it's interests
[Let them give up all the arguments in support
of their Religion that are derived from
it's utility] Let them support as they can their superiority
of their system kingdom, by it's own proper entrance
powers [forces]
INTROD. Pr. of Utility not repugnant in Religion [BR II]
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introd. pr. of utility not repugnant to religion |
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jeremy bentham |
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