PART III.

OF THE MORAL PRINCIPLE, OR CONSCIENCE 155

Proofs of the Existence of Conscience as a Distinct Principle of the mind 156

Nature of its Operation as the Regulating Principle 157

Analogy between it and Reason 158

Its Influence in conveying an Impression of the Moral Attributes of the Deity 163

Knowledge derived from this Source 164

Comparison of the Divine Attributes with the Actual State of Man 167

Difficulties arising from this Comparison removed only by the Christian Revelation 169

Mental Process by which the Regulating Power of Conscience is Impaired or Lost 172

Influence of this Condition upon the Judgment in regard to Moral Truth 176

Influence of Attention in Moral Decisions 179

Man's responsibility for his belief 182 Important relation between Moral Emotions and voluntary Intellectual Processes 183

APPENDIX TO PART III.

Sec. 1.—OF THE ORIGIN AND IMMUTABILITY OF MORAL DISTINCTIONS AND THEORIES OF MORALS 190

Origin of Our Idea of Virtue and Vice 193

System of Mandeville 195

System of Clarke and Wollaston 197

System of Utility 198

Selfish System 199

System of Paley 201

Defect of these Systems in not acknowledging the Supreme Authority of Conscience 206

Objections to the belief of a uniformity of Moral Feeling which have been founded on the practices of barbarous nations 216

System of Dr. Smith, or Theory of Sympathy 219

Province of Reason in Moral Decisions 222

Remarks on the Observations of some late Writers respecting the Corruption of Conscience 227

Sec. 2.—OF THE HARMONY OF THE MORAL FEELINGS 231

Consistency of Character arising from this Harmony,—and Defects of Character to which it is opposed 237