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An Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the Times
An Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the Times Author:John Brown Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Sect. VI. Of Principles. Sect. Most Writers, who have attempted to vi. prove the Efficacy of Principle, have fup- " ' pofed it to be the great and univerf... more »al Foun tain of Manners : They who have efpoufed the oppofite Syftem, obferving this Theory to be at variance with Fact, have rafhly concluded that Principle is void of all real Influence. The Truth feems to lie between thefc two Opinions. Principles vcannot be the Fountain of Manners, becaufe Manners precede Principles: That is, in our Pro- grefs from Infancy, Habits of Acting are prior to Habits of thinking. Yet on the other Hand, Principles, early and deeply ingrafted in the Mind, may grow up with Manners;and Principles of fie 'Times. t- Manners ; may be at variance with Man- Sect. ners; may yield to Manners ; or, gathering VI- Strength by Cultivation, may check, con-" troll, or deftroy them. This Diftinction is proper for many Reafons. One is evident: It fhews the Propriety of treating of the - Manners Jirft, and then the Principles of the Times. The Principles here to be eftimated, are fuch only as tend to counterwork the felftjh Pa/fions. Thefe are, the Principle of Religion, the Principle of Honour, and the Principle of public Spirit. The firft of thefe has the Deity for it's Object; the fecond, the Applauj'e of Men ; the third, the Approbation of our own Heart. Let us examine the prefent Influence of thefe feveral Principles on the Manners already delineated. 4. Did Did the Writer court the Applaufe of his polite Readers (if any fuch peradven- ture may honour him with their Regard) he would preface this Part of his Subject with an Apology, for the Rudenefs of hinting at religious Principle. To fuppofe a Man of Faftuon fwayed in his Conduct by a Regard to Futurity, is an Affront to the Deli...« less