"P. 30, l. _antepen. et quæ seq._[148:2] You seem here to embrace Dr.
Butler's opinion in his "Sermons on Human Nature," that our moral sense
has an authority distinct from its force and durableness; and that
because we always think it _ought_ to prevail. But this is nothing but
an instinct or principle, which approves of itself upon reflection, and
that is common to all of them. I am not sure that I have not mistaken
your sense, since you do not prosecute this thought.
"P. 52. l. 1. I fancy you employ the epithet _ærumnosam_[149:1] more
from custom than your settled opinion.
"P. 129, _et quæ seq._[149:2] You sometimes, in my opinion, ascribe the
original of property and justice to public benevolence, and sometimes to
private benevolence towards the possessors of the goods; neither of
which seem to me satisfactory. You know my opinion on this head. It
mortifies me much to see a person who possesses more candour and
penetration than any almost I know, condemn reasonings of which I
imagine I see so strongly the evidence. I was going to blot out this
after having wrote it, but hope you will consider it only as a piece of
folly, as indeed it is.
"P. 244, l. 7.[149:3] You are so much afraid to derive any thing of
virtue from artifice or human conventions, that you have neglected what
seems to me the most satisfactory reason, viz. lest near relations,
having so many opportunities in their youth, might debauch each other,
if the least encouragement or hope was given to these desires, or if
they were not easily repressed by an artificial horror inspired against
them.
"P. 263, l. 14. As the phrase is true Latin, and very common, it seemed
not to need an apology, as when necessity obliges one to employ modern
words.[150:1]
"P. 266, l. 18, _et quæ seq._[150:2] You imply a condemnation of Locke's
opinion, which, being the received one, I could have wished the
condemnation had been more express.
"These are the most material things that occurred to me upon a perusal
of your ethics. I must own I am pleased to see such just philosophy, and
such instructive morals to have once set their foot in the schools. I
hope they will next get into the world, and then into the churches.
Nil desperandum, Teucro duce et auspice Teucro.
"_Edinb. Jan. 10, 1743._"