PRACTICAL BENEVOLENCE.
72. Having now established the posi tion, that benevolence should be a prima ry pursuit of men, it follows that we should aim to direct every action, so as to produce the greatest happiness and the least misery in our power. This is the rule of conduct towards our fellow-crea tures, which universal, unlimited benevo lence inculcates.—But the application of this rule in real life, is attended with con siderable difficulties and perplexities. It isimpossible for the most sagacious and experienced to make any very accurate • estimate of the future consequences of particular actions, so as, in all the variety of circumstances which occur, to deter mine justly which action would contribute most to augment happiness and lessen misery. Instead, therefore, of this very general rule, we must substitute others less extensive, and subordinate to it, ad mitting of a more commodious applica tion. Whatever rules are laid down for this purpose, it is obvious, that their co incidence must add strength to each ; and that when they differ, or are apparently opposite to each other, this difference or Opposition must moderate or restrain their application. On the whole, however, the general result will prove the best direction for promoting the happiness, and lessen ing the misery, of others.
73. Hartley lays down the following ten subordinate rules : " 1. That we obey the scripture precepts, in the natural, obvious meaning of them.-2. That we should pay great regard to the dictates of our own moral sense, and to those of others. —3. That in deliberate actions we should weigh the probable consequence on each side.-4. That we are not to be guided implicitly by the mere impulse of com passion and good-will : yet that great re gard should be paid to them in, our con duct.-5. That we should place ourselves in the situation of the persons concerned. —6. That persons in the near relations of life, benefactors, dependants and enemies, seem to have in most cases, a prior claim to strangers.-7. That benevolent and re ligious persons have, all other things being equal, a prior claim to the rest of mankind.-8. That we should contribute, as far as lies in our power, to the moral and religious improvement of others.-9. That we ought to pay the strictest regard to truth, both in our affirmations and in our promises.-10. That we ought to obey the civil magistrate and the laws of the community." These rules we think truly unexceptionable ; and we shall fol low the order of Hartley, enlarging on some of them as we proceed. It appears,
however, to be desirable, that we first enter a little into the consideration of the necessity of our acting upon general rules of conduct.
74. To show that general rules of con duct are necessary in the present state of human nature, it is simply requisite to answer the question, what would be the state of things without them ? We should then be under the necessity of calculating in every case that -comes before us, on what side the good or evil attending cer tain actions preponderates. In fact, our lives would be a series of thought, in stead of what they were designed to be, a series of action. A total stop would be put to the business of life, and instead of regularity and consistency in a person's conduct, we must expect to find nothing but a series of actions, constantly proceed ing from no steady principle, and marked with all the features of inconsistency.— But further, we are led to the same con clusion, when we consider our ignorance of futurity, and the little time and leisure possessed by the generality of men the investigation of the consequences of their actions. We not unfrequently are unable precisely to trace even those con sequences which are immediate and ap parent, still less those which arise silently and gradually in the lapse of time. The consequences of our actions may last, when the agents have long ceased to ex ist as children of mortality. Our actions may influence others ; our deviations may produce more extensive deviations, of which we have no knowledge. Perhaps there is scarcely an important action in our lives, the consequences of which are confined to ourselves, or even to our own sphere of observation. Besides, if we were unable to lay down general rules for conduct, and were obliged to decide upon each action as it occurred, it is scarcely possible that we should avoid the influence of heated feeling; and sel dom should we possess that abstraction of mind, which would enable us to leave the present out of consideration, and view with calmness and impartiality the tendency of our actions. Innumerable are the cases in which interest or passion paint in vivid colours the course to which they prompt, and throw into the back ground, and render almost imperceptible, the dangers which should induce its steadily and perseveringly to avoid it : hence, we may lay it down as indispensi bly necessary, that there should be gene ral rules for conduct, and consequently a deviation from a general rule must of it self be an evil.