All must be falfe that thwart this One great End; And all of God, that blefs Mankind or mend. 310

NOTES.

"Government is, in itself, better than another (as, that "mixed or limited Monarchy, for example, is not pre"ferable to abfolute) but that no form of Government, "however excellent or preferable, in itself, can be fuf"ficient to make a People happy, unless it be admini"stered with integrity. On the contrary, the best fort "of Government, when the form of it is preferved, and "the adminiftration corrupt, is moft dangerous."

II. Again, to fuppofe the Poet to mean, that all Religions are indifferent, is an equally wrong as well as uncharitable fufpicion. Mr. Pope, though his fubject, in this Effay on Man, confineth him to Natural religion; yet he giveth frequent intimations of a more fublime Difpenfation, and even of the neceffity of it; particularly in his fecond epiftle ( 149, &c.) where he confeffeth the weaknefs and infufficiency of human Reason.

And likewife in his fourth epiftle, where, fpeaking of the good Man, the favourite of Heaven, he fayeth, "For him alone, Hope leads from goal to goal, "And opens ftill, and opens on his foul: ""Till, lengthen'd on to Faith, and unconfin'd, "It pours the blifs that fills up all the Mind.

But Natural Religion never lengthened Hope on to Faith; nor did any Religion, but the Chriftian ever conceive that Faith could fill the mind with happiness.

Laftly, In this very epiftle, and in this very place, fpeaking of the great Reftorers of the religion of Nature, he intimates that they could only draw God's fhadow, not his image:

"Re-lum'd her ancient light, not kindled new,

"If not God's image, yet his shadow drew:

as reverencing that truth, which telleth us, this discovery was referved for the glorious Gospel of Chrift, who is the image of God, 2 Cor. iv. 4.

Man, like the gen'rous vine, fupported lives; The strength he gains is from th' embrace he gives.

COMMENTARY.

VER. 311. Man, like the gen'rous vine, &c.] Having thus largely confidered Man in his focial capacity, the Poet, in order to fix a momentous truth in the mind of his reader, concludes the epiftle in recapitulating the two Principles which concur to the fupport of this part of his character, namely, SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL; and in fhewing that they are only two different motions of the appetite to Good; by which the Author of Nature hath enabled Man to find his own happiness in the happiness

NOTES.

VER. 305. For Modes of Faith let graceless zealots fight ;] Thefe latter Ages have feen fo many fcandalous contentions for modes of Faith, to the violation of Christian Charity, and dishonour of facred Scripture, that it is not at all ftrange they fhould become the object of fo benevolent and wife an Author's refentment.

But that which he here feemed to have more particularly in his eye was the long and mischievous fquabble between W-d and JACKSON, on a point confeffedly above Reason, and amongst those adorable mysteries, which it is the honour of our Religion to find unfathomable. In this, by the weight of anfwers and replies, redoubled upon one another without mercy, they made fo profound a progrefs, that the One proved, nothing hindered, in Nature, but that the Son might have been the Father, and the Other, that nothing hindered, in Grace, but that the Son may be a mere Creature. But if, inftead of throwing fo many Greek Fathers at one another's heads, they had but chanced to reflect on the fenfe of one Greek word, AIEIPIA, that it fignifies both INFINITY and IGNORANCE, this fingle equivocation might have faved them ten thousand, which they expended in carrying on the controversy. However thofe Mifts that magnified the Scene, enlarged the Character of the

On their own Axis as the Planets run,

Yet make at once their circle round the Sun;

COMMEN NTARY.

of the Whole. This he illuftrates with a thought as fublime as that general harmony which he defcribes:

"On their own Axis as the Planets run, "Yet make at once their circle round the Sun: "So two confiftent motions act the Soul; "And one regards Itfelf, and one the Whole. "Thus God and Nature link'd the general frame, "And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.

For he hath the art of converting poetical ornament into philofophic reafoning; and of improving a fimile into an analogical argument; of which more in our next.

:

NOTES.

Combatants and no body expecting common fenfe on a fubject where we have no ideas, the defects of dulness disappeared, and its advantages (for, advantages it has) were all provided for.

The worft is, fuch kind of Writers seldom know when to have done. For writing themfelves up into the fame delufion with their Readers, they are apt to venture out into the more open paths of Literature, where their reputation, made out of that ftuff, which Lucian calls Zxór iλóço, prefently falls from them, and their nakedness appears. And thus it fared with our two Worthies. The World which muft have always fomething to amuse it, was now, and it was time, grown weary of its play-thing; and catched at a new object that promifed them more agreeable entertainment. Tindal, a kind of Baftard-Socrates, had brought our fpeculations from Heaven to Earth: and, under the pretence of advancing the Antiquity of Chriftianity, laboured to undermine its Original. This was a controverfy that required another management. Clear fenfe, fevere reafoning, a thorough know

So two confiftent motions act the Soul;

And one regards Itfelf, and one the Whole.

315

Thus God and Nature link'd the gen❜ral frame, And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.

NOTES.

ledge of prophane and facred Antiquity, and an intimate acquaintance with human Nature, were the qualities proper for fuch as engaged in this Subject. A very unpromising adventure for thefe metaphyfical nurflings, bred up in the fhade of chimeras. Yet they would needs venture out. What they got by it was only to be once well laughed at, and then forgotten. But one odd circumftance deferves to be remembered; tho' they wrote not, we may be fure, in concert, yet each attacked his Adverfary at the fame time; faftened upon him in the fame place; and mumbled him with just the fame toothless rage. But the ill fuccefs of this efcape foon brought them to themfelves. The One made a fruitlefs effort to revive the old game, in a difcourfe on The importance of the doctrine of the Trinity; and the Other has been ever fince, rambling in SPACE, and TIME.

This fhort hiftory, as infignificant as the fubjects of it are, may not be altogether unufeful to pofterity. Divines may learn by these examples to avoid the mifchiefs done to Religion and Literature thro' the affectation of being wife above what is written, and knowing beyond what can be understood.

VER. 318. And bade Self-love and Social be the fame.] True Self-love is an appetite for that proper good, for the enjoyment of which, we were made as we are. Now that good is commenfurate with all other good, and a part and portion of Univerfal Good: it is therefore the fame with Social, which hath the fame properties.

ARGUMENT OF

EPISTLE

IV.

Of the Nature and State of Man with refpe& to Happiness.

I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all, 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be fo, it must be focial, fince all particular Happiness depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, 37. As it is neceffary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods Should be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in thefe, 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among Mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, 70. III. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is confiflent with the conflitution of this world; and that the good Man has here the advantage, 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God fhould alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, $ 12I. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that, whoever they are, they must be happiest, 133, &c. VI. That external goods, are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of Virtue, 165. That even these can