elong to the will of man, and no one has
ever pretended to deny, that we can draw inferences concerning human
actions, and that those inferences are founded on the experienced union
of like actions with like motives and circumstances. The only particular
in which any one can differ from me, is either, that perhaps he will
refuse to call this necessity. But as long as the meaning is understood,
I hope the word can do no harm. Or that he will maintain there is
something else in the operations of matter. Now whether it be so or
not is of no consequence to religion, whatever it may be to natural
philosophy. I may be mistaken in asserting, that we have no idea of any
other connexion in the actions of body, and shall be glad to be farther
instructed on that head: But sure I am, I ascribe nothing to the actions
of the mind, but what must readily be allowed of. Let no one, therefore,
put an invidious construction on my words, by saying simply, that
I assert the necessity of human actions, and place them on the same
footing with the operations of senseless matter. I do not ascribe to the
will that unintelligible necessity, which is supposed to lie in matter.
But I ascribe to matter, that intelligible quality, call it necessity or
not, which the most rigorous orthodoxy does or must allow to belong to
the will. I change, therefore, nothing in the received systems, with
regard to the will, but only with regard to material objects.

Nay I shall go farther, and assert, that this kind of necessity is so
essential to religion and morality, that without it there must ensue
an absolute subversion of both, and that every other supposition is
entirely destructive to all laws both divine and human. It is indeed
certain, that as all human laws are founded on rewards and punishments,
it is supposed as a fundamental principle, that these motives have an
influence on the mind, and both produce the good and prevent the evil
actions. We may give to this influence what name we please; but as it
is usually conjoined with the action, common sense requires it should be
esteemed a cause, and be booked upon as an instance of that necessity,
which I would establish.

This reasoning is equally solid, when applied to divine laws, so far
as the deity is considered as a legislator, and is supposed to inflict
punishment and bestow rewards with a design to produce obedience. But I
also maintain, that even where he acts not in his magisterial capacity,
but is