A sermon preached at St. Mary's church in Oxford, on Tuesday, July 6, 1773 on occasion of the anniversary meeting of the governors of the Radcliffe infirmary / by William, lord bishop of Chester. Published at the request of the governors, for the benefit of the charity.

  • Markham, William, 1719-1807.
Date:
1773
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A sermon preached at St. Mary's church in Oxford, on Tuesday, July 6, 1773 on occasion of the anniversary meeting of the governors of the Radcliffe infirmary / by William, lord bishop of Chester. Published at the request of the governors, for the benefit of the charity. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ( !2 ) and I am much miftaken, if the juft foundations of moral duties, and particularly of beneficence, are to be difcovered in any of them. The two moft numerous Sedts, were the Epicureans and the Stoics. They naturally made their way beft, as taking in the two different temperatures of the hu¬ man mind. In the moral code, both of one and the other, beneficence has no place. They rejected com- paffion, which is its natural foundation, without fub- ftituting any other. The Epicureans rejected it, as difturbing the Philofophic Compofure, which they af- fedted; or rather, if they had been more ingenuous,, as interfering too much with their Syftem of felf-gra- tifications. The Stoics rejedted it, as a. weaknefs of our nature % and therefore inconfiftent with their exalted dignity. The other Sedts, whole reafonings were more ac¬ commodated to nature, and more friendly to Society,., either from an oftentatious averfion to dogmatizing, declined eftablifhing any principles whatever ; or elfe, they looked for a foundation in what they held to be becoming and laudable 5 by which means they made: the.