Man in the abstract, That we can judge only with regard to our own fyftem, being ignorant
of the relations of fyftems and things, ver. 17, &c.
That Man is not to be deemed imperfect, but a Being
fuited to his place and rank in the creation, agreea-
ble to the general Order of Things, and conformable .
to Ends and Relations to himunknown, ver. 33 &c.
That it is partly upon his Ignorance of future events, and partly upon the Hope of a future ftate, that all his Happiness in the prefent depends, ver. 77, &c.
The pride of aiming at more knowledge, and pretend- ing to more Perfection, the cause of Man's error and mifery. The impiety of putting himself in the place of God, and judging of the fitness or unfitness, perfection or imperfection, justice or injustice of his difpenfations, ver. 113, &c. The abfurdity of conceiting himself the final caufe of the creation, or expecting that perfection in the moral world, which is not in the natural, ver. 137, &c. The unreasonableness of his complaints against Provi- dence, while, on the one hand, he demands the Per- fections of the Angels; and, on the other, the bodily qualification of the Brutes; though to possess any of the fenfitive faculties in a higher degree, would ren- der him miferable yer. 173, &c. That throughout the whole vifible world, an uni- verfal order and gradation in the fenfual and mental faculties is obferved, which causes a fub- ordination of creature to creature, and of all crea- tures to Man. The gradation of fenfe," instinct, thought, reflection, reafon; that Reafon alone countervails all the other faculties,
ver. 207, How much farther this order and fubordination of living creatures may extend, above and below us; were any part of which broken, not that part only, but the whole connected creation must be destroyed,
The extravagance, madness and pride of fuch a de- fire. The confequence of all, the abfolute fubmiffion due to Providence, both as to our present and future ftate, v. 281, &c. to the end.
EPISTLE II.
Of the Nature and State of Man, with respect to Himself, as an Individual.
HE business of Man not to pry into God, but to ftudy himself, his Middle Nature; his Power
The PASSIONS, and their use,
The predominant Passion, and its force, ver. 131,&c.
to 160
Its neceffity, in directing Men to different purposes,
ver. 165, &c.
Its providential Ufe, in fixing our Principle, and afcertaining our Virtue,
Virtue and Vice joined in our mixed Nature; the limits near, yet the things separate and evident : What is the office of Reason, ver' 195, &c. How odious Vice in itfelf, and how we deceive our felves into it, ver: 217, &c. That, however, the Ends of Providence and general Good are answered in our Paffions and Imperfec- tions, ver. 219, &c. How usefully thefe are diftributed to all Oiders of
In every state, and every age of life, ver. 271, &c.
And in the Forms of Society,
Origin of Political Societies,
Origin of Monarchy,
Patriarchal government,
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