For Modes of Faith, let graceless zealots fight; 305 All must be falfe that thwart this One great End; Yet make at once their circle round the Sun ; And one regards Itself, and one the Whole. 315 ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE IV. Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Happiness. I. FALSE Notions of Happiness, Philofophical and Popular, anfwered from ver. 19 to 77. II. It is the End of all Men, and attainable by all. ver. 30. God intends Happiness to be equal; and to be so, it must be focial, fince all particular Happiness depends on general, and fince he governs by general, not particular Laws, ver. 37. As it is necessary for Order, and the peace and welfare of Society, that external goods should be unequal, Happiness is not made to confift in these, ver. 51. But, notwithstanding that inequality, the balance of Happiness among mankind is kept even by Providence, by the two Paffions of Hope and Fear, ver. 70. III. What the Happiness of Individuals is, as far as is confiftent with the constitution of this world; and that the good Man has here the advantage, ver. 77. The error of imputing to Virtue what are only the calamities of Nature, or of Fortune, ver. 94. IV. The folly of expecting that God fhould alter his general Laws in favour of particulars, ver. 121. V. That we are not judges who are good; but that whoever they are, they must be happiest, ver. 133. etc. VI. That external goods are not the proper rewards, but often inconfiftent with, or deftructive of Virtue, ver. 167. That even these can make no Max happy without Virtue: Inftanced in Riches, ver. 185. Honours, ver. 193. Nobility, ver. 205. Greatness, ver. 217. Fame, ver. 237. Superior Talents, ver. 259, etc. With pictures of human infelicity in Men poffeffed of them all, ver. 269, etc. VII. That Virtue only conftitutes a Happiness, whose object is univerfal, and whose profpe&t eternal, ver 309, etc. That the perfection of Virtue and Happiness confifts in a conformity to the ORDER of PROVIDENCE here, and a Refignation to it here and hereafter, ver. 326, O EPISTLE IV. H HAPPINESS Our being's end and aim ! Good, Pleasure, Ease, Content! whate'er thy name: That fomething ftill which prompts th' eternal figh, 5 THE two foregoing epiftles having confidered Man with regard to the Means (that is, in all his relations, whether as an Individual, or a Member of Society) this laft comes to confider him with regard to the End, that is, HAP PINESS. VER. 6. O'er-look'd, feen double,] O'er-look'd by those who place Happiness in any thing exclufive of Virtue; feen double by thofe who admit any thing else to have a share with Vir tue in procuring Happiness; these being the two general miftakes that this epiftle is employed in confuting. VARIATIONS. VER. 1. Ob Happiness! etc.] in the MS. thụs, |