quently, though some may appear to have, or may really have, less corporeal or mental strength than others, it is no sufficient ground for their having less than they require; as each member may be employed advantageously for the primary association; some filling the humbler situations with content, which they might not do, if their talents were greater. That the gifts of all should be fully developed, is obvious from considering, that besides its being necessary for the happiness of men in their present state of existence, this state is only the commencement of that more extended one they have to enter after this life: and none can tell the posts that may be assigned them therein. Indeed, all human power is incompetent to calculate the influence any single person whatever may have on his fellow men, even here; and no man's capacity can be evinced, unless he has the fullest means for developing it. We may be assured, that however men may cultivate their talents here, the wisest and best of them will, on their entrance into another state of being, be far less competent rightly to fill their destinies, than they ought to be.

31. To any one who impugns what is here advanced, we ask,'Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.' A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from Heaven' Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above; and cometh down from the Father of lights.' 'As every one hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.' Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.' The members should,' therefore, as has been intimated, have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.' That this is the interest of all, is also apparent from considering, that by the constitution of society we are now treating of, such would be the vast afflux of wealth accruing, that, so far from their being any occasion for some to desire to curtail their neighbours' allowance; the greatest danger to be apprehended would be, that from the universal exuberance generated, men would fall into licentiousness.

32. If, however, any will not work, neither shall he eat; and for this, or any other misconduct, be dealt with according to law.

33. And the prosperity of the association will obviously augment, as the governors and the governed have a holy rivalry, as to which shall most advance the happiness of the whole; and,

consequently, the love of all its members for each other, and the Most High, who is the Centre of the Great Association of the Universe. All, as we have said, thus humbly endeavouring to do all to his glory, all ever remembering, that 'Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven, and in the earth, is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted, as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reiguest over all: and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is, to make great, and to give strength unto all.'

34. An association governed on the principles here laid down, would surpass any that has ever appeared since the creation; history, as far as we are acquainted with it, being silent on any at all approximating to it.

35. Bishop Butler seems to have had some idea of such a one. We shall see, says he, the happy tendency of virtue, by imagining an instance, not so vast and remote; by supposing a kingdom or society of men upon it, perfectly virtuous for a succession of many ages, to which, if you please, may be given a situation advantageous for universal monarchy. In such a state, there would be no such thing as faction, but men of the greatest capacity would, of course, all along have the chief direction of affairs willingly yielded to them; and they would share it among themselves without envy. Each of these, would have the part assigned to him, to which his genius was peculiarly adapted; and others who had not any distinguished genius, would be safe, and think themselves very happy by being under the protection and guidance of those who had. Public determinations would really be the result of the united wisdom of the community, and they would faithfully be executed by the united strength of it. Some would in a higher way contribute, but all would in some way contribute to the public prosperity; and in it each would enjoy the fruits of his own virtue.

And

as injustice, whether by fraud or force, would be unknown among themselves, so they would be sufficiently secured from it in their neighbours; for cunning and false self-interest, confederacies in injustice, ever slight and accompanied with faction and intestine treachery, these, on the one hand, would be found mere childish folly and weakness, when set in opposition against wisdom, public spirit, union inviolable, and fidelity on the other; allowing both a sufficient length of years to try their force.

36. Add the general influence, which such a kingdom would have over the face of the earth, by way of example particularly, and the reverence which would be paid it. It would plainly be superior to all others, and the world must gradually come under

its empire; not by means of lawless violence, but partly by what must be allowed to be just conquest, and partly by other kingdoms submitting themselves voluntarily to it, throughouta course of ages, and claiming its protection, one after another, in successive exigencies. The head of it would be an universal monarch, in another sense than any mortal has yet been; and the eastern style would be literally applicable to him, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. And though, indeed, our knowledge of human nature, and the whole history of mankind, show the impossibility, without some miraculous interposition, that a number of men here on earth should unite in one society or government, in the fear of God, and universal practice of virtue, and that such a government should continue so united for a succession of ages; yet, admitting or supposing this, the effect would be as now drawn out. And thus, for instance, the wonderful power and prosperity, promised to the Jewish nation in the Scripture, would be in a great measure the consequence of what is predicted of them.-Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever.'-(Analogy of Religion, Part I. Chap. 3.)

37. That such a state of things as we have been depicting, is not to be expected, is abundantly evident, but this altogether arises from the wickedness of mankind. Butler's assertion, of the impossibility of its existence, "without some miraculous interposition," may therefore be questioned; because, as one man may be righteous, another may, and consequently all others. To deny this, is to affirm that vice necessarily exists of divine appointment, for which no Christian, we suppose will be found to contend; and the more so, when he remembers, he is thus admonished by his Lord: Be ye 'perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.' And all mankind being under the same law, whatever imperfection can be supposed allowable by Heaven, on the part of any one man, is necessarily so on that of all men. There is therefore no reason, but the wickedness of mankind, why all nations of the world should not associate according to the divine will. If the mode that has been pointed out, is in accordance with that will, the productive powers of the whole world should be brought under one head. As to this, there obviously exists no difficulty in appointing an association of commercial agents, to hold their meetings in some convenient place, all nations being by this means properly re presented. (Zech. xiv. 9.) Their intercourse might be so regu lated, that, instead of competing and oppressing, they might educe nothing but benefits to each other. Dr. Price speaks of a similar assembly for preserving peace. Let, says he, a general confederacy be formed by the appointment of a senate, consisting of representatives from all the different states. Let this senate possess the power of managing all the common concerns

E

of the united states, and of judging and deciding between them as a common arbiter or umpire in all disputes. Thus might the scattered force and abilities of a whole continent be gathered into one point, all litigations settled as they rose, universal peace preserved, and nation prevented from any more lifting up a sword against nation.-(Obs. on Civil Liberty.)

38. The power of primary associations depends on,—

The quantity, quality, and situation, of the land under the control of an association.

The number of the associates.

The union existing between themselves.

And, more than all besides, the union existing between the associates, both individually and collectively, and the Divine Being.

39. Nothing is said about the accumulation of wealth, because this, however small, or however great, is not of the least moment. By rightly associating, if it was possible to commence from the extremest poverty, the accumulation would be almost incalculably rapid and great. The principal danger to be apprehended, is, that it would be too great.

40. I will confess, says Mr. Gray, my total inability to comprehend, how, in the present very advanced state of productive science, there could be any such thing as unmerited poverty, or any thing the least resembling it, in any civilized nation upon the earth. Future ages will look back with astonishment upon the miserable ignorance of the present generation, upon this all important subject. If we continue to suffer from the existing commercial errors of society, it is our own fault. England has only to be made acquainted with the immensity of her own strength, to spring as it were in an instant from the very depths of poverty and wretchedness, into the heights of prosperity and commercial happiness. All she requires is to let loose her enormous powers of production, which are now tied and bound by the chain of commercial error.-(Social System.)

41. These observations on Perfect Association may be closed with some remarks of Mr. D'Israeli. It seems, says he, to be the fate of all originality of thinking, to be immediately opposed; a contemporary is not prepared for its comprehension, and too often cautiously avoids it, from the prudential motive which turns away from a new and solitary path. Bacon was not at all understood at home, in his own day;-his reputation, for it was not celebrity, was confined to his History of Henry the Seventh, and his Essays. It was long after his death, before English writers ventured to quote Bacon as an authority; and with equal simplicity and grandeur, Bacon called himself" the servant of posterity."-(On the Literary Character.)

CHAP. IV.

IMPERFECT ASSOCIATION.

1. THIS differs from perfect association, inasmuch as the different secondary associations for production and distribution, &c., are not under the control of the government: but all competition and oppression are by the constitution itself utterly excluded. Here all the members have an equal share of the political right, and thence the property in the land. The government being appointed as we have already seen. How the land is to be divided, will be considered in the Second Part.

2. The most eligible mode for the formation of the secondary associations here, seems to be, for such persons, as are not singly or otherwise occupied in a suitable manner, to unite for the purpose of forming associations, in the various branches and divisions of production, as far as possible, in the manner that will be most conducive to their own and the general good; as these things must ever be inseparable, due attention being of course paid to the peculiar qualities of each individual: and the members of each association electing from among themselves, some proper person or persons to conduct their affairs. And all having, as we have said, a right to property in the land, and thus possessing both the sources of wealth within themselves,-however humbly they might commence, they could not fail, with a moderate degree of industry and frugality, very rapidly to realize, under the divine blessing, sufficient wealth to enable them to prosecute their occupations in the most powerful manner. But this would of course be dependent on the prevalence of justice, mercy, and unanimity, among the members of each association, and the different associations of the various branches and divisions; and the humility of the members of all of them towards Heaven. According to the present constitution of things with us, wealth is divided among three classes,Landlords, Capitalists, and Labourers. If, then, one hundred men are associated, and they are able to produce or distribute raw or manufactured goods, are they not also competent to apply all the profit thence arising, advantageously among themselves?What can these hundred persons want of such utterly useless. animals as mere landlords or capitalists, who assist neither in producing nor distributing, but simply absorb wealth, without rendering for it the slightest equivalent?

3. A number of secondary associations can of course unite, and form a great secondary association, producing and distribut