1821 Nov r 18

Jug Util

7

§ All comprehensive sketch

7

In the course of the inquiry it will be seen

1. Whether Natural Religion is of itself, and independently of alledged Revealed Religion, capable of furnishing any directive rule.

2. /If any/ Whether if it operates at all, it can operate otherwise than by supplying and in so far as it supplies sanctions—its own superhuman sanctions, in such sort as to contribute to the giving effect to directive rules issuing from other sources: i.e. from human ones.

3. Whether in so far as it operates by furnishing /[...?] [...?]/ sanctions and applying [...?] to the giving effect to directive rules issuing from human sources, it is in its nature to be contributing to human happiness upon the whole: whether it is not in its nature to be detrimental to human happiness upon the whole.

4. Whether it be in the higher degree contributing or detrimental to human happiness (understood all along in the present life) it may be so either by its immediate operation independently of alledged Revealed Religion, or by giving or contributing to give rise to alledged Revealed Religion in its various shapes.

Note, that if, either by directive rules furnished by it, or by sanctions held out by it, Revealed Religion in its most beneficial or least pernicious shape is necessarily detrimental to human happiness by /an amount/ degree greater than that in which it is contributing to human happiness in the life in question, a fortiori so it is in all others, and by a greater amount.

Note moreover that by contributing to give rise to such most beneficial or least pernicious of alledged Revealed Religion it has contributed to the several Establishments that have had their rise in that same Religion to the Establishments, and thereby to all the effects good and bad of which they have been and are predictions.