Nullius addic

I thought it likely to fpring. tus jurare in verba magiftri, I as readily admit of a true propofition laid down by a tory, as by a whig, by a puritan as by a church-man, by a leveller as by a royalist. If my labours, and researches do in the smallest degree contribute to settle the minds of my countrymen upon the subject, that reward will fatisfy my proudest expectations. * << Whenever "the interefts of truth and liberty are atsc tacked, it is to be wished, that some would "stand up in their defence, whether they ac"quit themselves better, than their prede"ceffors in the fame good old cause or not. "New books, in defence of any principles "whatever, will be read by many persons, "who will not look into old books for the proper answers to them."

We are affured, from the unerring authority of the holy Bible, that the days of man have been much curtailed, fince he was first formed by his creator; and we may rationally infer, that the natural ftrength, vigor, and power of that body, which was to last many hundred years, were greater, than what are merely requifite to fupport it through a tenth part of that period; but I can no where

* Preface to Dr. Prielley's Effay on the Firft Principles of Government,

trace

The intellectual trace even a fuggestion, that the minds and

powers of man

more nor lefs

perfect, than

werc.

Antiquity not conclusive evi

dence of truth.

are now neither intellects of our antediluvian ancestors were more vigorous or perfect, than those of their they formerly pofterity; though from the excefs of their longevity they must have had the advantage of experimental information: yet Solomon, who was endowed with more wisdom, than any of his predeceffors, exifted long after this abbreviation of the natural days of man. I am free to own, it has ever appeared to me as unwarrantable to maintain, that the true principles of civil and religious liberty have only been disclosed to the prefent generation, as to attribute an exclufive preference to all the doctrines of our predeceffors, upon the mere score of antiquity. Every fucceeding age must neceffarily have the advantages of obfervation and experience; but beyond these I can discover no traits, that mark the fuperiority of the prefent age above any that have preceded it*. The more closely we

*"For as our modern wits behold, mounted a pick-back on ❝ the old, &c, Hudib. Ift pt. 2d canto. v. 71, 72. A ban"ter on thofe modern writers, who, as Sir W. Temple "obferves, (Efay on ancient and modern Learning), that as "to knowledge, the moderns must have more, than the "antients, becaufe they have the advantage both of "theirs and their own; which is commonly illuftrated "by a dwarf's ftanding upon a giant's fhoulders, or feeing more or farther than he." Grey's Hud. v. 1. P. 104.

attend

attend to the various excellencies of indivi-
duals within our own acquaintance, the more
fully we shall be convinced, that the innate
powers of men have not varied for these
two thousand years; but that they have ever
acquired a degree of excellence proportioned
to the variety of the circumftances, that called
them into action. Thus are obviously traced
the various causes, which through the fuc-
ceffion of ages, have given birth to, encou-
raged, and perfected the different arts and
sciences. I cannot help differing, upon this
point, from Dr. Priestley *, who says, "That
"the human fpecies itself is capable of a
"fimilar and unbounded improvement; teaches.
"whereby mankind in a latter age are
"greatly fuperior to mankind, in a former

age, the individuals being taken at the "fame time of life. Of this progrefs of the

fpecies, brute animals are more incapable, " than they are of that relating to indivi"duals. No horfe of this age feems to "have any advantage over other horses of "former ages; and if there can be any im

provement in the fpecies, it is owing to " our manner of breeding and training them: "but a man at this time, who has been "tolerably well educated, in an improved

Effay on the First Principles of Government, p. 2.

"Christian

Our prefent exno fuch advanpredeceffors as

iftence gives us

tage over our

Dr. Priestley

The defign of the work.

"Chriftian country, is a being poffeffed of "much greater power, to be, and to make, << happy, than a perfon of the fame age in "the fame or any other country fome cen"turies ago."

Hence, affured that this learned philofopher will not refufe me, on account of my differing from fome of his opinions, the common fuperiority of reasoning, which my existence in the present age gives me over all my anceftors and predeceffors, (though unconscious of the advantage) I lay in my full claim to it, and fhall endeavour to fupport it more by the perfpicuity and strength of arguments gleaned from others, than by my own.

In the prosecution of my defign, I shall follow the order, which the fubject seems plainly to prescribe: I fhall confider man, first, in the pure state of nature; then, in the general state of fociety; and laftly, in the state of the English government and conftitution; and as every Englishman, or perfon living under the protection of the English government, affumes or contracts a relative duty and obligation to the community, of which he is a member, I fhall endeavour to enforce the indifpenfible coercion of these duties and obligations, by the examination and expofition of the inftances, in which they may be infringed

and

and violated by crimes against the state; and I fhall conclude by a faithful narrative of the effects already produced in this island, by the diffemination of the very doctrines, which are now attempted to be revived with fuch infatuated zeal.

If Britons fhall chufe again to get up the old tragedy, I fhall but have given in the list of the dramatis perfona, who are most qualified to keep up the genuine fpirit of the play.

A cool and collected revifal of the argument may determine my countrymen, either to the repetition, or irrevocable damnation, of the piece.

1