THE

ELEMENTS

O F

Moral Philosophy..

IN THREE BOOK S.

1. Of Man, and his Connexions. Of Duty or
Moral Obligations.--Various Hypothefes.--
Final Caufes of our Moral Faculties of Per-
ception and Affection.

2. The principal Diftinction of Duty or Vir-
tue. Man's Duties to Himfelf.--To So-
ciety.--To God.

3. Of Practical Ethics, or the Culture of the
Mind. Motives to Virtue from Perfonal
Happiness.--From the Being and Providence
of God.--From the Immortality of the Soul.
The Refult, or Conclufion.

By the late Rev. Mr. DAVID FORDYCE,
Profeffor of Moral Philofophy, and Author of the
Art of Preaching, infcribed to his Grace the
Archbishop of CANTERBURY.

The FOURTH EDITION.

LONDON:

Printed for J. DODSLEY, in Pall-Mall
MDCCLXIX.

PRELIMINARIES.

Μάλισα ἐπιμελητέον ὅπως ἕκας· ἡμῶν, τῶν ἄλλων Μαθημάτων αμελήσας, τότε το Μαθήματα, καὶ τηρητὴς καὶ μαθητὴς ἔσαι, ἐάν ποθὲν οἶος τ ̓ ἡ μαθεῖν καὶ ἐξευρεῖν τίς αὐτὸν ποιήσει δυνατὸν καὶ ἐπισήμονα, ΒΙΟΝ

ΧΡΗΣΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΟΝΗΡΟΝ διαγινώσκονταν τὸν βελτίω ἐκ τῶν δυατών αεὶ πανταχέ αἱρεῖθαι. αναλόγια ζόμενον παια, τὰ νῦν δὴ ῥηθέντα, καὶ ξυντιθεμενα αλλή λοις, καὶ διαιρεμενα, πρὸς ἀφελήν, βία πῶς ἔχει καὶ εἰδέναι τί καλλο πενία ή πλέτῳ κραθέν, καὶ μετα ποίας τινὸς ψυχης ἕξεως κακὸν ἡ ἀγαθον ἐργαζετα --καὶ πάλα τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν φύσει περὶ ψυχην ὅλων, κα τῶν ἐπικλήτων, τί ξυγκεραννύμενα πρὸς ἄλληλα έργα. ζελαι. ὥσε ἐξ ἀπάνων αὐτῶν δυνατον είναὶ συλλογισάμενον αἱρειθαι, πρὸς τὴν τῆς ΨΥΧΗΣ ΦΥΟΙΝ αποβλέπουλα, τὸν τε χείρω καὶ τὸν ἀμείνω ΒΙΟΝ, Plat. de Repub. Lib. 10.

HUMAN KNOWLEDGE has been diftributed by Philofophers into different Branches, and into more or fewer Divifions, according to the more or less

extenfive Views, which they have taken of the various Subjects of Human Enquiry. Partition of laid it out into three general A great Philofopher * has Knowledge. Provinces, HISTORY, POETRY,

and PHILOSOPHY; which he refers to three feveral Powers of the Mind, MEMORY, IMAGINATION, and REASON. Memory ftores up Facts, or Ideas which are the Materials of Knowledge. Imagination ranges and combines them into different Affemblages or Pictures. Reafon obferves their Differences, Connections, and mutual Relations, and argues concerning them.

The last is the proper BufiPhilofoyby in nefs of PHILOSOPHY, which has general. been defined, the " Knowledge

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of whatever exifts," or the "Science of Things Human and Divine." According to this Definition, its Object comprehends the Universe or Whole of Things. It traces whatever can be known by Man concerning the Deity and his Works, their Natures, Powers, Operations, and Connections.

Therefore to give our DefiDivifion of nition more Precition, PHIPhilofophy. LOSOPHY may be defined, the Know

*Vid. Bacon. Aug. Scient. Lib. II. cap. 1.