therhood of Nature which unites them into a closer Commt nity of Interest and Affection.

Connection with the other Sex.

CHAP. II.

Concerning Marriage.

W

HEN

Man arrives to a certain Age, he becomes sensible of a peculiar Sympathy and Tenderness towards the other Ssx;

the Charms of Beauty engage his Attention, and call forth new and fofter Dispositions than he has yet felt. The many amiable Qualities exhibited by a fair Outfide, or by the mild Allurement of Female Manners, or which the prejudiced Spectator, without much Reasoning, supposes those to include, with feveral other Circumftances both natural and accidental, point his View and Affection to a particular Object, and of course contract that general rambling Regard, which was loft and useless among the undiftinguished Crowd, into a peculiar and permanent Attachment to one Woman, which ordinarily terminates in the most important, venerable, and delightful Connection in Life.

THE State of the Brute Creation is very difof this Conner- ferent from that of Human Creatures. The former are cloathed and generally armed by their Structure, eafily find what is necessary to their Subfiftence, and foon attain their Vigour and Maturity; fo that they need the Care and Aid of their Parents but for a short while; and therefore we see that Nature has affigned to them vagrant and transient Amours. The Connection being purely Natural, and merely for propagating and rearing their Offspring, no sooner is that End answered, than the Connection dissolves of course. But the Human Race are of a more tender and defenceless Constitution; their Infancy and Non-age continue longer; they advance flowly to Strength of Body, and Maturity of Reafon; they need constant Attention, and a long Series of Cares and Labours, to train them up to Decency, Virtue, and the various Arts of Life. Nature has, therefore, provided them with the most affectionate and anxious Tutors, to aid their Weakness, to supply their Wants, and to accomplish them in those necessary Arts, even their own Parents, on whom she has devolved this mighty Charge, rendered agreeable by the most alluring and powerful of all Ties, Parental Affection. But unless both concur in this grateful Task, and continue their joint Labours, till they have reared up and planted out their young Colony, it must become a Prey to every rude Invader, and the Purpose of Nature in the original Union of the human Pair be defeated. Therefore our Structure as well as Condition is an evident Indication, that the Human Sexes are destined for a more intimate, for a moral and lasting Union. It appears likewise, that the principal End of Marriage is not to propagate and nurse up an Offspring, but to educate and form Minds for the great Duties and extensive Destinations of Life. Society must be supplied from this original Nursery with useful Members, and its fairest Ornaments and Supports. But how shall the young Plants be guarded against the Inclemencies of the Air and Seafons, cultivated and raised to Maturity, if Men, like Brutes, indulge to vagrant and promifcuous Amours?

THE Mind is apt to be diffipated in its Views and Acts of Friendship and Humanity; unless Moral Ends the former be directed to a particular Object, and of Marriage. the latter employed in a particular Province. When Men once indulge to this Diffipation, there is no stopping their Career, they grow insensible to Moral Attractions, and, by obstructing or impairing the decent and regular Exercise of the tender and generous Feelings of the human Heart, they in Time become unqualified for, or averse to, the forming a Moral Union of Souls, which is the Cement of Society, and the Source of the purest domestic Joys. Whereas a rational, undepraved Love, and its fair Companion, Marriage, collect a Man's Views, guide his Heart to its proper Object, and, by confining his Affection to that Object, do really enlarge its Influence and Use. Besides, it is but too evident from the Conduct of Mankind, that the common Ties of Humanity are too feeble to engage and intereft the Paffions of the Generality in the Affairs of Society. The Connections of Neighbourhood, Acquaintance, and general Intercourse, are too wide a Field of Action for many, and those of a Public or Community are so for more, and in which they either care not, or know not how to exert themselves. Therefore Nature, ever wife and benevolent, by implanting that strong Sympathy which reigns between the Individuals of each Sex, and by urging them to form

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form a particular moral Connection, the Spring of many domestic Endearments, has measured out to each Pair a particular Sphere of Action, proportioned to their Views, and adapted to their respective Capacities. Besides, by interesting them deeply in the Concerns of their own little Circle, she has connected them more closely with Society, which is composed of particular Families, and bound them down to their good Behaviour in that particular Community to which they belong. This Moral Connection is Marriage, and this Sphere of Action is a Family. It appears from what has been said, that to adult Persons, who have Fortune sufficient to provide for a Family according to their Rank and Condition in Life, and who are endued with the ordinary Degrees of Prudence necessary to manage a Family, and educate Children, it is a Duty they owe to Society, to marry.

SOME Pretenders to a peculiar Refinement in An Objection Morals think, however, that a single State is more answered. conducive to the Perfection of our Nature, and

1

to those sublime Improvements to which Religion calls us. Sometimes, indeed, the more important Duties we owe to the Public, which could scarce be performed, or not fo well, in the married State, may require the single Life, or render the other not so honourable a Station in such Circumstances; but, surely, it must be improving to the focial Affections to direct them to particular Objects whom we esteem, and to whom we stand in the nearest Relation, and to afcertain their Exercise in a Field of Action which is both agreeable in itself, and highly advantageous to Society. The constant Exercise of Natural Affection, in which one is necessarily engaged in providing for and training up one's Children, opens the Heart, and must enure the Mind to frequent Acts of Self-denial and Self-command, and consequently strengthen the Habits of Goodness. The Truth of this is but too evident in those married Perfons who are so unfortunate as to have no Children, who, for want of those necessary Exercises of Humanity, are too generally over anxious about the World, and perhaps too attentive to the Affair of Oeconomy. Another Circumstance deferves to be remembered, that Men who are continually engaged in Study or Business, or anxiously intent on public Concerns, are apt to grow stern and fevere, or peevish and morofe, on account of the frequent Rubs they meet with, or Fatigues they undergo in fuch a Course. The Female Softness is therefore useful to moderate their Severity, and change their Ill-humour into domestic Tenderness, and a soster Kind of Humanity.

(

Humanity. And thus their Minds, which were overstrained by the Intenseness of their Application, are at once relaxed and re-tuned for public Action. The Minds of both Sexes are as much formed one for the other, by a Temperament peculiar to each, as their Persons. The Strength, Firmness, Courage, Gravity, and Dignity of the Man, tally to the Softness, Delicacy, Tenderness of Paffion, Elegance of Tafte, and Decency of Conversation of the Woman. The Male Mind is formed to defend, deliberate, forefee, contrive, and advise. The Female one to confide, imagine, apprehend, comply, and execute. Therefore the proper Temperament of thefe different Sexes of Minds makes a fine moral Union; and the well-proportioned Oppofition of different or contrary Qualities, like a due Mixture of Discords in a Compofition of Music, swells the Harmony of Society more than if they were all Unisons to each other. And this Union of moral Sexes, if we may express it so, is evidently more conducive to the Improvement of each, than if they lived apart. For the Man not only protects and advises, but communicates Vigour and Resolution to the Woman. She in her Turn softens, refines, and polishes him. In her Society, he finds Repose from Action and Care; in hor Friend, ship, the Ferment, into which his Paffions were wrought by the Hurry and Distraction of public Life, subsides and fettles into a Calm; and a thousand nameless Graces and Decencies, that flow from her Words and Actions, form him for a more mild and elegant Deportment. His Conversation and Example on the other hand, enlarge her Views, raise her Sentiments, sustain her Resolutions, and free her from a thousand Fears and Inquietudes, to which her more feeble Conftitution subjects her. Surely fuch Dispositions, and the happy Consequences which result from them, cannot be supposed to carry an unfriendly Aspect to any Duty he owes either to God or to Man.

Of the conjugal Alliance the following are the natural Laws. First, Mutual Fidelity to the Mar- Duties of riage-Bed. Difloyalty defeats the very End of Marriage. Marriage, diffolves the natural Cement of the

Relation, weakens the moral Tie, the chief Strength of which lies in the Reciprocation of Affection, and, by making the Offspring uncertain, diminishes the Care and Attachment necessary to their Education.

2. A Conspiration of Counsels and Endeavours to promote the common Interest of the Family, and to educate their common Offspring. In order to observe these Laws, it is neceffary to cultivate, both before and during the married State,

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the

the strictest Decency and Chastity of Manners, and a just Sense of what becomes their respective Characters.

3. THE Union must be inviolable, and for Life. The Nature of Friendship, and particularly of this Species of it, the Education of their Offspring, and the Order of Society and of Succeffions, which would otherwise be extremely perplexed, do all feem to require it. To preserve this Union, and render the matrimonial State more harmonious and comfortable, a mutual Esteem and Tenderness, a mutual Deference and Forbearance, a Communication of Advice, and Assistance and Authority, are absolutely necessary. If either Party keep within their proper Departments, there need be no Disputes about Power or Superiority, and there will be none. They have no opposite, no separate Interests, and therefore there can be no just Ground for Oppofition of Conduct.

FROM this Detail, and the present State of Polygamy. Things, in which there is pretty near a Parity of Numbers of both Sexes, it is evident that Polygamy is an unnatural State; and though it should be granted to be more fruitful of Children, which however it is not found to be, yet it is by no means so fit for rearing Minds, which seems to be as much, if not more, the Intention of Nature than the Propagation of Bodies.

In what Cafes Divorce may be proper, what Divorce, &c. are the just Obstacles of Marriage, and within what Degrees of Confanguinity it may be allowed, we have not Room to discuss here; and therefore we refer the Reader to Mr. Hutchinson's ingenious Moral Compend. Book III. Chap. 1.

CHAP. III.

T

Of Parental Duty.

HE Connection of Parents with their Children is a natural Consequence of the matrimonial Connection, and the Duties which they owe them result as naturally from that Connection. The feeble State of Children, subject to so many Wants and Dangers, requires their incessant Care and Attention; their ignorant and uncultivated Minds demand their continual Instruction and Culture. Had human Crea