The Works of the Late Right Honourable Henry St. John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, Volume 8J. Johnson, 1809 - Great Britain |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 100
Page 8
... Providence , XXII . THE rough draughts , that have been thrown upon these papers , may help to show , that there is such a thing as the law of nature , antecedent to all other laws , and to the establishment of civil society ; that this ...
... Providence , XXII . THE rough draughts , that have been thrown upon these papers , may help to show , that there is such a thing as the law of nature , antecedent to all other laws , and to the establishment of civil society ; that this ...
Page 29
... Providence in a man- ner that implies often contradiction , to different and opposite interests , nay to the different and opposite caprices , not of nations alone , but of particular men , women , and children . Since I have mentioned ...
... Providence in a man- ner that implies often contradiction , to different and opposite interests , nay to the different and opposite caprices , not of nations alone , but of particular men , women , and children . Since I have mentioned ...
Page 38
... Providence . It is to say , that they saw before , and that he has seen since this further revelation was made , the * Verum autem non nisi cjus scire est , qui sit doctús a Deo . Ib . necessity necessity of it to reform mankind ...
... Providence . It is to say , that they saw before , and that he has seen since this further revelation was made , the * Verum autem non nisi cjus scire est , qui sit doctús a Deo . Ib . necessity necessity of it to reform mankind ...
Page 49
... providence ; and it seems very plain , that the concise manner in which their sages expressed themselves , whenever they spoke of the Supreme Being , and upon which their refining successors have endeavoured to found , in part at least ...
... providence ; and it seems very plain , that the concise manner in which their sages expressed themselves , whenever they spoke of the Supreme Being , and upon which their refining successors have endeavoured to found , in part at least ...
Page 56
... providence , have been deduced . How should it be other wise ? They who reason " à posteriori " from the constitution of the human system , and from the works of God , have indeed a rule to go by , pre- cise , invariable , certain . But ...
... providence , have been deduced . How should it be other wise ? They who reason " à posteriori " from the constitution of the human system , and from the works of God , have indeed a rule to go by , pre- cise , invariable , certain . But ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
absurd according affirm agreeable all-perfect ancient animals appear Arcesilaus artificial theology ascribe assert assumed atheists attri authority believe christian church Clarke conceive constitution creatures dæmons doctrine effect employed Epicurus errour established eternal reason existence fantastick final cause former future God's gods gymnosophists happiness heathen philosophers human hypothesis ideas imagine infinite wisdom instance intuitive knowledge Israelites Jews justice kind knowledge Lactantius law of nature less mankind manner matter means ment metaphysical mind misery moral attributes natural religion natural theology necessary notions objects observation occasion opinion particular providences passions perfections phænomena physical and moral Plato Plutarch polytheism posteriori pretend principles proofs prove publick purpose Pythagoras reason of things reconcile reformation repugnant revelation rewards and punishments scheme second Alcibiades sense Socrates superstition suppose Supreme taught tion true truth Tully ture unjust virtue wherein whole wisdom and power
Popular passages
Page 207 - We have the ideas of a square, a circle, and equality ; and yet, perhaps, shall never be able to find a circle equal to a square, and certainly know that it is so. We have the ideas of matter and thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know whether any mere material being thinks or no...
Page 207 - We have the ideas of matter and thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know whether any mere material being thinks or no;* it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own ideas, without revelation, to discover whether Omnipotency has not given to some systems of matter fitly disposed, a power to perceive and think, or else joined and fixed to matter so disposed a thinking immaterial substance...
Page 276 - The truth is, that we have not in philosophical speculation, in any history except that of the Bible, nor in our own experience, sufficient grounds to establish the doctrine of particular providences, and to reconcile it to that of a general providence, which continues, and directs the course of things in the material and intellectual systems, as these systems were originally constituted by the author of nature.
Page 308 - As in matters of sense, the reason why a thing is visible is not because it is seen, but it is therefore seen because it is visible : so in matters of natural reason and morality, that which is holy and good...
Page 15 - ... should, I do not believe that there ever was a time, when it could be said with truth that the law of nature was imperfectly known, or that it was an incomplete system of morality before the Christian revelation, both of which propositions are roundly advanced by divines, though manifestly false. Dr. Clarke says, in his Evidences of natural and revealed religion, which are often dim, and often weak, that the heathen philosophers were never able to prove and explain clearly and distinctly enough...
Page 5 - Israel, nor their legislator perhaps, knew anything of another life, wherein the crimes committed in this life are to be punished; although he might have learned this doctrine, which was not so much a secret doctrine as it may be presumed that the unity of the Supreme God was, among the Egyptians.
Page 368 - Governor of the universe, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, has been tried, convicted, and condemned, for his government of the world, on the general principles of human justice ; like the governor of a province, or any other inferior magistrate.
Page 239 - Pleasures are the objects of self-love, happiness that of reason. Reason is so far from depriving us of the first, that happiness consists in a series of them: and as this can be neither attained nor enjoyed securely out of society, a due use of our reason makes social and self-love coincide, or even become in effect the same. The condition wherein we are born and bred, the very condition so much complained of, prepares us for this coincidence; the foundation of all human happiness; and our whole...
Page 343 - Nature, is no doubt, and as that may be which supposes these providences exercised in a manner agreeable to these laws. That the world is fitted in many respects to be the habitation of men, or that men are fitted for this habitation, is true. But will it follow, even from the first, that the world therefore was made for the sake of man, any more, than it will follow...
Page 229 - Bolingbroke was attempting, on the one hand, to show that " man is connected by his nature . . . with the whole tribe of animals, and so closely with some of them, that the distance between his intellectual faculties and theirs, which constitutes as really, though not so sensibly, as figure the difference of species, appears, in many instances, small, and would probably appear still less, if we had the means of knowing their motives, as we have of observing their actions.