Love all the faith and all th' allegiance then, A sov'reign being but a sov'reign good. 235 That was but love of God, and this of Man. 240 Who first taught souls enslav'd, and realms undone, Th' enormous faith of many made for one; 246 That proud exception to all Nature's laws, She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray 250 Here fix'd the dreadful, there the bless'd abodes; 255 And, form'd like tyrants, tyrants would believe. 260 Zeal then, not Charity, became the guide, And hell was built on spite, and heav'n on pride: So drives self-love, thro' just and thro' unjust, 265 What serves one will when many wills rebel? 270 275 280 285 Relum'd her ancient light, not kindled new : If not God's image, yet his shadow drew ;' Taught nor to slack nor strain its tender strings, 290 That touching one must strike the other too, Such is the world's great harmony, that springs 295 [made Where small and great, where weak and mighty, To serve, not suffer; strengthen, not invade; More pow'rful each as needful to the rest, And in proportion as it blesses blest; Draw to one point, and to one centre bring 300 For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight; 305 All must be false that thwart this one great end; 310 Man, like the gen'rous vine, supported lives; The strength he gains is from the embrace he gives. On their own axis as the planets run, Yet make at once their circle round the sun; 315 And one regards itself, and one the whole. Thus God and Nature link'd the gen'ral frame, And bade self-love and social be the same. 318 VOL. III. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness. THE ARGUMENT. I. False notions of happiness, philosophical and popular, answered, from v. 19. to 27. II. It is the end of all Men, and attainable by all, v. 29. God intends happiness to be equal; and, to be so, it must be social, since all particular happiness depends on gene. ral, and since he governs by general, not particular laws, v. 35. As it is necessary for order, and the peace and welfare of society, that external goods should be unequal, happiness is not made to consist in these, v. 51: but, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of happiness amongst mankind is kept even by Providence by the two passions of hope and fear, v. 70. III. What the happiness of individuals is, as far as is consistent with the constitution of this world; and that the good Man has here the advantage, v. 77. The error of imputing to virtue what are only the calamities of nature, or of fortune, v. 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God should alter his general laws |