Some Remains (hitherto unpublished) of Joseph Butler, LL.D. | Page 2

by
afflictions, which affected His Majesty so much that he desired the
sermon, and assured him that he would do something very good for
him. The Master desired that it might be known publicly, it was told
him by the Bishop of Oxford [Seeker]. The Master seemed mightily
pleased, and was in hopes it would be of great service to the public as
well as his private family, which will be a pleasure to every body, and
make even the death of Her Majesty (so great a seeming loss) of
advantage to the nation."
I have been mainly induced to publish these Remains by the pleasure
with which some copies I had given away privately have been received,
and I confess that the fruit I should be most gratified to see, would be
the recovery of some longer work, not less worthy of its Author's
reputation.
EDWARD STEERE, LL.D.
University College, London, 1st September, 1853.

FRAGMENTS.
From the autographs of Bp. Butler now in the library at the British
Museum. [Add. MS. 9815.]

I.

God cannot approve of any thing but what is in itself Right, Fit, Just.
We should worship and endeavour to obey Him with this
Consciousness and Recollection. To endeavour to please a man merely,
is a different thing from endeavouring to please him as a wise and good
man, i.e. endeavouring to please him in the particular way, of behaving
towards him as we think the relations we stand in to him, and the
intercourse we have with him, require.
Almighty God is to be sure infinitely removed from all those human
weaknesses which we express by the words, captious, apt to take
offence, &c. But an unthinking world does not consider what may be
absolutely due to Him from all Creatures capable of considering
themselves as His Creatures. Recollect the idea, inadequate as it is,
which we have of God, and the idea of ourselves, and carelessness with
regard to Him, whether we are to worship Him at all, whether we
worship Him in a right manner, or conceited confidence that we do so,
will seem to imply unspeakable Presumption. Neither do we know
what necessary, unalterable connexion there may be, between moral
right and happiness, moral wrong and misery.
Sincerity is doubtless the thing, and not whether we hit the right
manner, &c. But a sense of the imperfection of our worship,
apprehension that it may be, and a degree of fear that it is, in some
respects erroneous, may perhaps be a temper of mind not unbecoming
such poor creatures as we are, in our addresses to God. In proportion as
we are assured that we are honest and sincere, we may rest satisfied
that God cannot be offended with us, but indifference whether what we
do be materially, or in the nature of the thing abstracted from our way
of considering it, Good and Right,--such indifference is utterly
inconsistent with Sincerity.
No person who has just notions of God can be afraid of His displeasure
any further than as he is afraid of his own Character, whether it be what
it ought: but so far as a man has reason to fear his own character, so far
there must be reason to fear God's displeasure, or disapprobation; not
from any doubt of His Perfection and Goodness, but merely from the
belief of it.

Is it possible that people can be Scepticks in Opinion, and yet without
any doubtfulness, or solicitude about their Actions and Behaviour?

II.
What a wonderful incongruity it is for a man to see the doubtfulness in
which things are involved, and yet be impatient out of action, or
vehement in it! Say a man is a Sceptick, and add what was said of
Brutus, quicquid vult valde vult, and you say, there is the greatest
Contrariety between his Understanding and his Temper that can be
expressed in words.
* * * * *
In general a man ought not to do other people's duty for them; for their
duty was appointed them for their exercise; and besides, who will do it
in case of his death? Nor has a man any right to raise in others such a
dependance upon him as that they must be miserable in case of his
death, tho' whilst he lives he answers that dependance.
* * * * *
Hobbs' definition of Benevolence, that 'tis the love of power is base and
false, but there is more of truth in it than appears at first sight; the real
Benevolence of men being, I think, for the most part, not indeed the
single love of power, but the love of power to be exercised in the way
of doing good; that is a different thing from the love of the good or