Let. 25. Lord BoLrINoBROKE. 21

**to be expected. Not only are the goods of fortune, and en- * dowments of the body, unequally diſtributed between the “ virtuous and the vicious; but the moſt worthy character, „„by the very œconomy of the paſſions, doth not always en- ** joy the higheſt felicity. Though all vice is pernicious, the **F diſturbance or pain is not meaſured out by nature with exact *«*⅜ proportion to the degrees of vice: Nor is the man of higheſt *⁴ virtue, even abilf acting g from rernat accidents, always the ol veupen may be

et an zlonc may embitter ni ¹ mand render a pe erſon co aple rcl miſerable. On the othe erhand, a GIfih villain may leſs a ſpri ing and alacrity of „„temper, a certain gaiety of which will co 1 ¹uneaſineſs and remorſe ari

4 If a man be liable to a v

e or imperfection,

“ happen, that a good quality which he poſſeſſes al with „˙it, will render him more miſerable, than if he were com-

pletely vicious. A ſenſe of ſhame in an imperfectc character, 1s certainly a virtue, but produces great uneaſineſs and re- «morſe, from which the abandoned villain is entirely free h.“ Though I lay no great ſtreſs on Mr. Hume's authorit

1

I believe this repreſentation will be acknowleged to be agree-

able to obſervation and experience. And if it be ſo, what can be more natural or reaſonable, than the hypotk neſis of a future ſtate, where the rewards of virtue and puni iſhments ts of vice, ſhall be more equally and regularly proportioned than they can Lrdinepily be in this preſent Kate! 2

It is hard to produce an inſtance of groſſer calu abuſe than our author is guilty of, when he

mny and advanceth it as a

general charge againſt the Chriſtian divines, that they have made a common cauſe vii ach eiſts to attack providence 46

and to murmur againſt t ¹* pay.“ And he gives it as ¹he goes murmuring and c 6

ry ſub miſtiot that they , that

nd com ing thu ougt the juſtice of God, and therefore d deſerves li trle t to taſte of his goodneſs in a future ſtate i.“ But this is ſtrangely miſ-

repreſented.

₰

66

PF-

h Hume's moral and political Eſſays, p. 24 4. 245.

1 Bolingbroke's w orkes, Vol. v. p 86. It is in the ſame ſpirit of mifrepreſentation and ab duſe, that he thinks fit to charde Chri- tians with aſſuming, War happineſs confiſts principall y in health, and the advantages of fortune, and with pratending to Keep an ac-

3 coun!