ss, excites humility or hatred: It
follows, that these two particulars are to be considered as equivalent,
with regard to our mental qualities, virtue and the power of producing
love or pride, vice and the power of producing humility or hatred. In
every case, therefore, we must judge of the one by the other; and may
pronounce any quality of the mind virtuous, which causes love or pride;
and any one vicious, which causes hatred or humility.

If any action be either virtuous or vicious, it is only as a sign of
some quality or character. It must depend upon durable principles of the
mind, which extend over the whole conduct, and enter into the personal
character. Actions themselves, not proceeding from any constant
principle, have no influence on love or hatred, pride or humility; and
consequently are never considered in morality.

This reflection is self-evident, and deserves to be attended to, as
being of the utmost importance in the present subject. We are never to
consider any single action in our enquiries concerning the origin
of morals; but only the quality or character from which the action
proceeded. These alone are durable enough to affect our sentiments
concerning the person. Actions are, indeed, better indications of a
character than words, or even wishes and sentiments; but it is only so
far as they are such indications, that they are attended with love or
hatred, praise or blame.

To discover the true origin of morals, and of that love or hatred, which
arises from mental qualities, we must take the matter pretty deep, and
compare some principles, which have been already examined and explained.

We may begin with considering a-new the nature and force of sympathy.
The minds of all men are similar in their feelings and operations; nor
can any one be actuated by any affection, of which all others are not,
in some degree, susceptible. As in strings equally wound up, the motion
of one communicates itself to the rest; so all the affections readily
pass from one person to another, and beget correspondent movements in
every human creature. When I see the effects of passion in the voice and
gesture of any person, my mind immediately passes from these effects
to their causes, and forms such a lively idea of the passion, as is
presently converted into the passion itself. In like manner, when I
perceive the causes of any emotion, my mind is conveyed to the effects,
and is actuated with a like emotion. Were I present a