versaries we address this reflection-Had Jefus Christ delivered no other declaration than the following: "The hour is coming, in the which “all that are in the grave shall hear his voice, " and shall come forth; they that have done "good, unto the refurrection of life, and they "that have done evil, unto the refurrection "of damnation;" he had pronounced a meffage of ineftimable importance, and well worthy of that splendid apparatus of prophecy and miracles with which his miffion was introduced, and attefted-a meffage, in which the wifeft of mankind would rejoice to find an answer to their doubts, and reft to their enquiries. It is idle to fay, that a future ftate had been discovered already-It had been discovered, as the Copernican fyftem was-it was one guefs among many. He alone discovers, who proves; and no man can prove this point, but the teacher who teftifies by miracles that his doctrine comes from God. MORAL MORAL PHILOSOPHY. воок VI. ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE. CHAP. I. OF THE ORIGIN OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. GO OVERNMENT, at firft, was either patriarchal or military: that of a parent over his family, or of a commander over his fellow, warriors. I. Paternal authority, and the order of domeftic life, fupplied the foundation of civil government. Did mankind fpring out of the earth mature and independent, it would be found perhaps impoffible to introduce fubjection and fubordination among them; but the condition of human infancy prepares men for fociety, by combining individuals into fmall communities, and by placing them from the beginning under direction and control. A family contains the rudiments of an empire. The authority of one over many, and the difpofition to govern and to be governed, are in this way incidental to the very nature, and coeval no doubt with the existence, of the human fpecies. Moreover, the conftitution of families not only affifts the formation of civil government, by the difpofitions which it generates, but also furnishes the first fleps of the process by which empires have been actually reared. A parent would retain a confiderable part of his authority after his children were grown up, and had formed families of their own. The obedience of which they remembered not the beginning, would be confidered as natural; and would scarcely, during the parent's life, be entirely or abruptly withdrawn. Here then we see the second stage in the progrefs of dominion. The first was, that of a parent over his young children: this, that of an anceftor prefiding over his adult defcendants. Although Although the original progenitor was the centre of union to his pofterity, yet it is not probable that the affociation would be immediately or altogether diffolved by his death. Connected by habits of intercourfe and affection, and by fome common rights, neceffities, and interefts, they would confider themselves as allied to each other in a nearer degree than to the reft of the fpecies. Almoft all would be fenfible of an inclination to continue in the fociety in which they had been brought up; and experiencing, as they foon would do, many inconveniencies from the abfence of that authority which their common ancestor exercised, efpecially in deciding their difputes, and directing their operations in matters in which it was neceffary to act in conjunction, they might be induced to supply his place by a formal choice of a fucceffor; or rather might willingly, and almost imperceptibly, transfer their obedience to fome one of the family, who by his age or fervices, or by the part he poffeffed in the direction of their affairs during the lifetime of the parent, had already taught them to respect his advice, or to attend to his commands; or, laftly, the profpect of these inconveniencies might prompt the first ancestor to appoint a fucceffor; and his, I pofterity, VOL. II. |