Civil Laws) we are authorised, I fay, to demand the whole Sum refulting from the Principal and combined Interest, however it may exceed the original Loan; for each of those Interefts, on the Day of their refpective Expiration, became fresh Sums, which would have produced in the like Manner and Proportions on which we found our prefent Demands. Here likewife are excluded the Cafes of Infolvability, where the Duties of Humanity come into Account: The Question is merely of Right confidered in itself.

Thus a Diftinction may be made between voluntary and conventional Ufuries, and necessary Ufuries, which take Place abstractedly from any Compact; and fuch are those which we have just spoken of, and which arife from the Non-payment of the current Interest. Tho', as the Lender might be construed to agree to the Debtor's Non-payment, without Notice given that Payment is expected, it is only from the Day of fuch Notice that commences the Right of requiring Intereft on Interest.

Whatever exceeds the Limits which we have now marked, becomes oppreffive Ufury, belongs to the odious Trade of an Ufurer, condemned both by Humanity and Religion, and which, indeed, no Society fhould tolerate, as thereby bafe Members

glut

glut themselves on the Blood and Subftance of the Unfortunate. Let Cafuifts fulminate their innumerable Decifions, let Divines again kindle their boisterous Zeal, let Preachers difplay their most pathetic Elo-. quence against these public Leeches; but, in avoiding one Extremity, let them take Care that they run not into the other: Yet this is no more than what happens every Day; the Attention confining itself to Words, a Congeries of different Ideas is aggregated under one and the fame Term; this misleads into an univerfal Judgment deftitute of logical Truth, the Attribute not being affirmable of the Subject in its whole Extent, but agreeing with it only under certain Limitations and Restrictions *.

*The following Gleanings may ferve as fome Specimen of the different Ideas of Nations on the Improvement of Money by Intereft, or Ufury. How the old Hebrews explain the Divine Law relating to Ufury, Selden gives a large Account, viz. they thought it was unlawful, not only to receive, but even to give Ufury; and that the very Scriveners, Notaries, Witneffes, and Procurers of fuch Bargains, contracted a Guilt. However, the Money of Orphans was allowed to be put out to Interest to a rich Man, provided he gave the Gain to the Orphan, but bore the Lofs himself.We lend not to the Man (fays Dr Beauval very well, Hift. de Oper. Doc. O&ob. 1691. p. 66.) but to his Goods. We reckon upon the Ability to pay, and not upon the Induftry and Fidelity of the Borrower: A Reflection which Martial puts into the Mouth of his Friend, Lib. 12. Ep. 25.

Quod

Quod mihi non credis Veteri, Thelefine, Sodali,
Credis colliculis, arborifque meis.

You trust me not, altho' your ancient Friend;
'Tis on my Lands and Trees that you depend.

The Koran forbids Ufury, yet the Turks borrow Money to carry on Trade, and allow the Creditor half the Gain; but, if the Principal happen to be lost, the Debtor refunds that only; but, if only Part of the Principal perish, the Whole muft be made up out of the Gain of the Remainder.-In Confideration of the Ufe of moderate Ufury, the Popes themselves permitted, under a fpecious Title, Mountains of Piety; as they call them, that is, they did not allow either Pledge or Intereft to be taken for three Crowns lent to a poor Man; but, for larger Sums, Pledges might be taken, and, every Month, fome very small Matter paid as Intereft for defraying the Charges of fuch Offices.. Thou shalt not lend upon Ufury to thy Brother; unto a Stranger thou mayeft lend upon Ufury: Concerning which Law, Grotius, among other Reafons, fays, that the chief Riches of the Jews lay in Husbandry and Money; whereas, moft of the neighbouring Nations made vaft Gains by Merchandise : And therefore Ufury was, with very good Reafon, allowed the Jews in their Dealings with them.After much Debate, Ufury was allowed in Holland, as beneficial to the State; and even they who took it, were permitted to enter into Holy Orders. - The Egyptian Law did not permit the Principal to be more than doubled by Ufury, and allowed the Debtor's Goods to be feized upon, but not his Perfon, which was accounted to belong to the Public, and to be difpofed of in its Service, as beft qualified for the Services of War or Peace.

THE

THE

OBLIGATION

Of procuring Ourselves the

CONVENIENCIES of LIFE,

Confidered as a

MORAL DUTY.

Τ

HE Subject exhibited in this Difcourse, as a Duty, will, perhaps, hardly be thought fuch; and much less to stand in Need of a Recommendation, as if Mankind of themfelves were not fufficiently propenfe, not only punctually to put it in Practice, but even to exceed in it, to carry it beyond its juft Limits. Nevertheless, to acquiefce in either of thofe Decifions would be an unhappy Error. The Obligation of procuring to ourfelves all the Obligations of Life is a Duty logically deducible from the first Principles of Morality: And, what is more, it is a Duty commonly neglected. A few Moments of Attention will, I flatter myfelf, fuffice to convince those who are in another Way of Thinking.

Morality

Morality is either the Science of Happinefs, or it is nothing. What other Reafon could determine a rational Creature to reflect on the Nature of its Actions? What other End could it propose in directing them by a certain Propriety, Harmony, and Rectitude, which at first seem to be attended with no fmall Conftraint and Reluctancy, were it not for the fublime Recompence of fuch Self-government, in a State preferable to that into which the Neglect of these Precautions would plunge

it ?

Accordingly, all Philofophers, celebrated for the Uniformity of their Ethics, have difcourfed to their Auditories of Happinefs, of the fupreme Good, as the ultimate End, the Perfection of their State, to which they fhould be always tending. There was, indeed, little Difficulty in perceiving and haranguing on an End, which Nature has written in capital Characters on the Hearts of all Men. But very far from being equally eafy is it to hit on the Means leading to this End: Nature, in this Point filent, refers to Man the Care of confulting Experience and Reason for the fuccefsful Conduct of this great Enterprise.

Hence then arife all those Structures called Systems, and diftinguished by the Names of the Architects. It appears from

the