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Were the Duty once recognized for what he
is: just, according to our notions of
justice: benevolent, according to our notions of
benevolence, as well as powerful according to our notions of power the whole affair of Religion would be
plain and easy short and easy — The current systems
The current System There would be no such thing as what are commonly
called Religious duties. The Our duties
of Theology would vanish into smoke
to God would no longer be opposed to our
duties to our neighbour. The former would
be no longer supposed to consist in a
different set of acts, in a different act
of sentiments: but as the same set of
acts and sentiments as the latter, under a
different point of view: a point of view
if not false, yet useless.
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One might say were pernicious: since
it leads men to reduce, or to increase the catalogue:
which can not be reduced without a domination
of happiness, that is without mischief to
others; nor increased without mischief to himself one
man's self.
If he is weak, he has an interest in our
homage: if he has that jealousy which
arises from the consciousness of impotence.
If he has is foolish, he may accept of an
action that has nothing to do with the end
which he has proposed for us, in the
room of one which has: will press upon him but he must be
very foolish if he accepts of one small
act of the former kind in the room of a
multitude of the latter: he must be foolish
above measure, if that one act be
accepted by him from a different person.
Such folly exceeds the ordinary measure
of folly visible in [the weakest of] mankind.
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The observance of the public happiness in the
pursuit of our own would ensure us against
his wrath: the pursuit of it, would entitle
us to his favour
This is the true and simple plain & truly unsophisticated idea of
Religion; which makes [it unite consolidates it in such
manner with Morality, as to] a separate
Sanction and nothing but a Sanction applied
to the precepts of morality, to every of them
and to none but them: in addition to those
which Morality [is pregnant furnishes with] of itself.
An idea thus .... is the ....
of [systematical] Divines of every persuasion:
they dare not controvert it, because
they dare not admitt it, because it quadrates
not with their systems.
INTROD. LAW Divine. no separate rule of Action. ][BR][ ][
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