Moral philosophy; or, The duties of man, considered in his individual, domestic, social, and religious capacities.

  • Combe, George, 1788-1858.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Moral philosophy; or, The duties of man, considered in his individual, domestic, social, and religious capacities. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of his depredations will visit him with a treatment which must prove painful to himself. The Ninth Commandment is—“Thou shalt not bear false witness.” This forbids the action of the other faculties without the control of Conscientiousness ; all the moral sentiments pro- claim the same prohibition. The Tenth Commandment is—“ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house,” &c. This forbids an abuse of Acquisitiveness combined with Self-Esteem in the form of self-love, seeking gratification at the expense of others. Conscientiousness and Benevolence are directly opposed to such abuses, and condemn them. Thus the precepts contained in the Ten Commandments are enforced in natural theology by the dictates of the whole moral sentiments, and also by the arrangements of the physical and moral worlds, which bring evil on those who contravene them. Trying these Commandments, then, by the standards of natural theology, we see no reason to question their in- herently Divine character; for we find them all written in the natural record of the Divine will. I may observe, however, that they are not complete as rules of duty. Firstly—they do not forbid, in express terms, abuses of Philoprogenitiveness, Self-esteem, Love of Approbation, Benevolence, and many other faculties ; and secondly, they do not expressly enjoin the direct exercise of any faculty except that of Veneration. There is no commandment prescribing as a duty the exercise of Benevolence, Conscientiousness, and Intellect, or enforc- ing legitimate uses of Philoprogenitiveness, Adhesiveness, Cautiousness, &c. The New Testament far excels the Mosaic law in supply- ing these deficiencies. First, Christ forbids the abuses of all our faculties ; secondly, He enjoins the active and legiti- mate exercise of all of them ; and, thirdly, He clearly pro- claims the supremacy of the moral sentiments, or teaches the duty of loving our neighbours as ourselves ; and natural theology coincides with, and enforces His commands. It has been stated as an insuperable objection to these views that they entirely exclude the practice of prayer, praise, and devotion. If God govern by general and im- mutable laws, what, it is asked, is the object or advantage of offering Him any homage or service whatever ] P 2