第1章

TotheRightHonourableDAVIDEARLofBUCHANViscountAucterhouse，LordCardrossandGlendovachie，OneoftheLordsCommissionersofPolice，andLordLieutenantoftheCountiesofStirlingandClackmannaninNorth—Brittain。

MYLORD，THEHonouryouhavedoneourFamilyObligethustomakealljustAcknowedgmentsofit：andthereisnoFormofAcknowledgmentinourpower，moreworthyofYourLordship’sAcceptance，thanthisDedicationoftheLastWorkofourHonoured&；LearnedFather。EncouragedhereuntobytheKnowledgewehaveofYourLordship’sJudiciousRelishofuniversalLearning，andSublimeVirtue；webegtheFavourofYourAcceptanceofit，whichwillverymuchObligeourFamilyingeneral，andHerinparticular，whois，MyLord，YourLordship’smosthumbleServant，ELIZABETHLITTELTON。

ThePrefacetoChristianMoralsTHEPREFACE。

IFanyOne，afterhehasreadReligioMedici&；

theensuingDiscourse，canmakeDoubt，whetherthesamePersonwastheAuthorofthemboth，hemaybeAssuredbytheTestimonyofMrsLITTLETON，Sr。THOMASBROWN’sDaughter，whoLivedwithherFather，whenitwascomposedbyHim；&；who，atthetime，readitwrittenbyhisownHand：&；

alsobytheTestimonyofOthers，（ofwhomIamOne）whoreadtheMS。oftheAuthor，immediatelyafterhisDeath，andwhohavesinceReadtheSame；

fromwhichithathbeenfaithfully&；exactlyTranscribedforthePress。

TheReasonwhyitwasnotPrintedsooneris，becauseitwasunhappilyLost，bybeingMislay’damongOtherMSSforwhichSearchwaslatelymadeinthePresenceoftheLordArch—BishopofCanterbury，ofwhichhisGrace，byLetter，InformedMrsLITTLETON，whenhesenttheMStoHer。ThereisnothingprintedintheDiscourse，orintheshortnotes，butwhatisfoundintheOriginalMSoftheAuthor，exceptonlywhereanOversighthadmadetheAdditionorTranspositionofsomewordsnecessary。

JOHNJEFFERY

Arch—DeaconofNorwich。

ChristianMorals，PartICHRISTIANMORALSPARTI。

Sect。I。

TREADsoftlyandcirumspectlyinthisfunambulatoryTrackandnarrowPathofGoodness：PursueVirtuevirtuously：

LevennotgoodActionsnorrenderVirtuesdisputable。StainnotfairActswithfoulIntentions：MaimnotUprightnessbyhaltingConcomitances，norcircumstantiallydepravesubstantialGoodness。[Funambulatory，fromL。fun—is，arope，+ambulare：rope—walking]

ConsiderwhereaboutthouartinCebes’sTable，orthatoldPhilosophicalPinax*oftheLifeofMan：whetherthouartyetintheRoadofuncertainties；whetherthouhastyetentredthenarrowGate，gotuptheHillandasperousway，whichleadethuntotheHouseofSanity，ortakenthatpurifyingPotionfromthehandofsincereErudition，whichmaysendTheeclearandpureawayuntoavirtuousandhappyLife。[TheTabulaorPinaxof\"Cebes\"，traditionallyidentifiedwithCebesofThebes。]

InthisvirtuousVoyageofthyLifehullnotaboutliketheArkwithouttheuseofRudder，Mast，orSail，andboundfornoPort。LetnotDisappointmentcauseDespondency，nordifficultydespair。ThinknotthatyouareSailingfromLimatoManillia，whenyoumayfastenuptheRudder，andsleepbeforetheWind；butexpectrougherSeas，Flaws，andcontraryBlasts，&；’tiswellifbymanycrossTacksandVeeringsyouarriveatthePort；forwesleepinLyonsSkinsinourProgressuntoVirtue，andweslidenot，butclimbuntoit。

SitnotdowninthePopularFormsandcommonLevelofVirtues。OffernotonlyPeaceOfferingsbutHolocaustsuntoGod：whereallisduemakenoreserve，andcutnotaCumminSeedwiththeAlmighty：ToserveHimsinglytoserveourselvesweretoopartialapieceofPiety，notliketoplaceusintheillustriousMansionsofGlory。

Sect。II。

RESTnotinanOvation*butaTriumphoverthyPassions。LetAngerwalkhangingdownthehead：LetMalicegoManicled，&；Envyfetter’dafterthee。BeholdwithintheethelongtrainofthyTrophiesnotwithoutthee。MakethequarrellingLapithytessleep，andCentaureswithinlyequiet。ChainuptheunrulyLegionofthybreast。

Leadthineowncaptivitycaptive，andbeCæ；sarwithinthyself。*OvationapettyandminorKindofTriumph。

Sect。III。

HEthatisChastandContinentnottoimpairhisstrength，orhonestforfearofContagion，willhardlybeHeroicallyvirtuous。Adjournnotthisvirtueuntillthattemper，whenCatocouldlendouthisWife，&；impotentSatyrswriteSatyrsuponLust：

ButbechastinthyflamingDays，whenAlexanderdar’dnottrusthiseyesuponthefairSistersofDarius，andwhensomanythinkthereisnootherwaybutOrigen’s*。*WhoissaidtohaveCastratedhimself。

Sect。IV。

SHOWthyArtinHonesty，andloosenotthyVirtuebythebadManageryofit。BeTemperate&；Sober，nottopreserveyourbodyinanabilityforwantonends，nottoavoidtheinfamyofcommontransgressorsthatway，andtherebytohopetoexpiateorpalliateobscureandcloservices，nottospareyourpurse，norsimplytoenjoyhealth；butinonewordthattherebyyoumaytrulyserveGod，whicheverysicknesswilltellyouyoucannotwelldowithouthealth。ThesickMan’sSacrificeisbutalameOblation。PiousTreasureslay’dupinhealthfuldayspleadforsicknonperformances：withoutwhichwemustneedslookbackwithanxietyuponthelostopportunitiesofhealth，andmayhavecauserathertoenvythanpitytheendsofpenitentpublickSufferers，whogowithhealthfullprayersuntothelastSceneoftheirlives，andintheIntegrityoftheirfacultiesreturntheirSpirituntoGodthatgaveit。

Sect。V。

BECharitablebeforewealthmaketheecovetous，andloosenotthegloryoftheMite。*IfRichesencrease，letthymindholdpacewiththem，andthinkitnotenoughtobeLiberal，butMunificent。ThoughaCupofcoldwaterfromsomehandmaynotbewithoutitsreward，yetsticknotthouforWineandOylfortheWoundsoftheDistressed，&；treatthepoor，asourSaviourdidtheMultitude，tothereliquesofsomebaskets。Diffusethybeneficenceearly，andwhilethyTreasurescalltheeMaster：TheremaybeanAtroposofthyFortunesbeforethatofthyLife，andthywealthcutoffbeforethathour，whenallMenshallbepoor；fortheJusticeofDeathlooksequallyuponthedead，&；CharonexpectsnomorefromAlexanderthanfromIrus。

*Mark12：42ff。

Sect。VI。

GIVEnotonlyuntoseven，butalsountoeight*，thatisuntomorethanmany。Thoughtogiveuntoeveryonethatasketh**mayseemsevereadvice，yetgivethoualsobeforeasking，thatis，wherewantissilentlyclamorous，andmensNecessitiesnottheirTonguesdoloudlycallforthyMercies。Forthoughsometimesnecessitousnessbedumb，ormiseryspeaknotout，yettrueCharityissagacious，&；

willfindouthintsforbeneficence。AcquaintthyselfwiththePhysiognomyofWant，andlettheDeadcoloursandfirstlinesofnecessitysuffisetotelltheethereisanobjectforthybounty。Sparenotwherethoucanstnoteasilybeprodigal，andfearnottobeundonebymercy。ForsincehewhohathpityonthepoorlendethuntotheAlmightyRewarder，whoobservesnoIdes***buteverydayforhispayments；CharitybecomespiousUsury，ChristianLiberalitythemostthrivingindustry，andwhatweadventureinaCockboatmayreturninaCarrackuntous。§；HewhothuscastshisbreadupontheWatershallsurelyfinditagain；forthoughitfallethtothebottom，itsinksbutliketheAxoftheProphet，toariseagainuntohim。§；§；*Ecclesiastes。

**Luke。

***[Theidesofthemonth，accordingtoDr。Johnson（1756

ed。），wasthedateonwhich\"moneylentoutatinterestwascommonlyrepaid\"。

CompareMilton’sDivorce\"ourenemiesexpecttoseetheexpectationoftheChurchtir’doutwithdependenciesandindependencieshowtheywillcompound，andinwhatCalends。\"

§；[Cockboat，aship’sboat，henceatypeofthesmallestvessel；carrack，agalleon。

§；§；2Kings6：5—7。]