Some Remains (hitherto unpublished) of Joseph Butler, LL.D. | Page 5

will; and whether even that can be said to amount to a
disposition to be influenced by wrong motives, formally, and as such,
may (I think) well be doubted. Men have by nature strong inclinations
to certain objects. None of these inclinations are vicious, but vice
consists in pursuing the inclination towards any object in certain
circumstances, notwithstanding reason, or the natural disposition to be
influenced by right motives, declares to the man's conscience at the
same time (or would do, if he attended to it) that the object ought not to
be pursued in those circumstances. Nevertheless, where the man
commits the crime, the natural disposition was only towards the object,
not formally towards the doing it upon wrong motives; and generally
the very essence of the crime consists in the liberty of the will forcibly
overruling the actual disposition towards being influenced by right
motives, and not at all (as you suppose) in the man's having any natural
disposition to be influenced by wrong motives, as such.

III.

From the original, now in the library at the British Museum. [Add. MS.
12,101.]
REV. SIR,
I had the honour of your kind letter yesterday, and must own that I do
now see a difference between the nature of that disposition which we
have to be influenced by virtuous motives, and that contrary disposition,
(or whatever else it may properly be called,) which is the occasion of
our committing sin; and hope in time to get a thorough insight into this
Subject by means of those helps you have been pleased to afford me. I
find it necessary to consider such very abstruse questions at different
times and in different dispositions; and have found particular use of this
method upon that abstract subject of Necessity: for tho' I did not see the
force of your argument for the unity of the Divine Nature when I had
done writing to you upon that subject, I am now fully satisfied that it is
conclusive. I will only just add that I suppose somewhat in my last
letter was not clearly expressed, for I did not at all design to say, that
the essence of any crime consisted in the man's having a natural
disposition to be influenced by wrong motives.
I was fully resolved to have gone to Cambridge some time in this Term,
not in the least expecting but that I might have the Terms allowed there
which I have kept here, but I am informed by one who has been there
that it is not at all to be depended upon; but that it's more likely to be
refused than granted me. My design was this; when I had taken the
Degree of Batchelor of Arts at Cambridge, (which I would have done to
have the Priviledge of that Gown,) to take that of Batchelor of Law a
year afterwards, but if I cannot have the Terms I have kept for
Batchelor of Arts allowed there, it will be highly proper for me to stay
at Oxford to take that degree here, before I go to Cambridge to take
Batchelor of Law. I will inquire concerning the truth of what the
gentleman told me, and if I find he is mistaken and that I can take the
degree of Batchelor of Arts at Cambridge next June, which is the time I
shall be standing for it, and Batchelor of Law a year after that; I will
make bold to accept of your kind offer to write to Mr. Laughton, and
will acquaint you with it as soon as I am satisfied, otherwise I will give

you no further trouble in the matter; and indeed I am sorry I should
have given you any already upon it, but I thought I had sufficient
reason to be satisfied, and had not the least suspicion in the world that
there was any uncertainty about getting the Terms allowed, so I hope
you will excuse it.
I am with the greatest respect and gratitude for all your favours,
Rev. Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,
J. BUTLER.
Oriel Coll., Oct. 10, 1717.
I should have written yesterday, to prevent your trouble of writing to
Mr. Laughton, but I was not informed of what I have mentioned before
last night.
* * * * *
This Letter, as well as the one immediately preceding, appears to have
been intended by Dr. Clarke for publication, as in both the concluding
passages relating to private matters have been struck through, and on
the back of this last is written, "These to be added to the next edition of
Leibnitz's Letters." I believe those Letters never reached a second
edition.

PRAYERS.
From a Copy in Bp. Butler's handwriting, now in the library at the
British Museum. [Add. MS.